There will be seven major parties for which Germans will vote. Since 2021, Scholz’s SPD had governed in an uneasy coalition with the liberal Free Democrats Party (FDP) and the Green Party. The CDU/CSU this time around will be led by Friedrich Merz, and the SPD by the incumbent but deeply unpopular chancellor, Scholz. The far-right Alternative for Deutschland party (AfD) has seen strong performances in regional elections give it a national boost. Either way, the federal election looks likely to leave the SPD and Scholz deeply humbled, and entering into a period of self-reflection.

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