How a failed confidence vote and a hung parliament birthed Germany's grand coalition

Countries & Cities · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 2005, Germany’s snap election resulted in an unexpected deadlock. Despite polls predicting a clear conservative victory, the electorate delivered a fractured parliament that forced bitter rivals into an unlikely partnership. The outcome redefined German governance, ending the era of Gerhard Schröder and launching Angela Merkel’s long chancellorship.

The 2005 federal election was triggered by a deliberate political maneuver. After losing a state election in North Rhine-Westphalia, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder sought to renew his mandate by intentionally failing a motion of confidence on 1 July 2005. With his own party abstaining, the motion failed, allowing President Horst Köhler to dissolve the Bundestag and call for early elections. The move was a gamble intended to bypass legislative gridlock, but the results proved far more complicated than the incumbent government anticipated.

During the campaign, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), initially held a commanding lead. However, support for their candidate, Angela Merkel, wavered due to internal conflicts, gaffes, and a controversial flat-tax proposal. By election day on 18 September, the CDU/CSU finished with 35% of the vote, while the Social Democratic Party (SPD) followed closely at 34%. The emergence of the Left Party—an alliance of the PDS and the breakaway WASG—further complicated the math, as both major parties refused to cooperate with them.

With neither the SPD-Green nor the CDU/CSU-FDP coalitions securing a majority, Germany faced a hung parliament. The election night concluded with a bizarre, widely criticized performance by Schröder, who insisted he was the only one capable of leading. Ultimately, the impasse forced the two largest parties into a grand coalition. On 10 October, they reached an agreement to share power equally, with eight cabinet posts each. On 22 November, Angela Merkel was elected chancellor by the Bundestag, marking a historic shift in German politics and the beginning of her sixteen-year tenure.

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