In 2013, Germany’s liberal party was wiped out of parliament for the first time ever.
In short: The 2013 German federal election saw Angela Merkel’s CDU/CSU alliance achieve its strongest result since 1990, yet fall just five seats short of an absolute majority. Meanwhile, the Free Democratic Party, a long-term coalition partner, failed to meet the five percent threshold, triggering a historic shift in the nation's governing landscape.
The 2013 election was defined by the collapse of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), which failed to secure any seats in the Bundestag for the first time in its history. Because the CDU/CSU fell five seats short of a majority and the FDP was absent, the traditional coalition options were exhausted. A potential left-wing alliance between the SPD, the Greens, and The Left was ruled out by the SPD and the Greens, who refused to govern with the party that had ruled former East Germany.
This political deadlock necessitated the formation of a grand coalition between the CDU/CSU and the SPD, the third such government in Germany since World War II. The process was lengthy, involving complex negotiations that lasted five weeks and concluded with an all-night session in late November. The resulting agreement included a commitment to introduce a minimum hourly wage of 8.50 euros by 2015 and a promise of no new taxes, a deal that was ultimately ratified by 76 percent of the SPD membership in December.
The election also highlighted the complexities of Germany's electoral system. Following constitutional court rulings regarding the fairness of seat distribution, the Bundestag enacted reforms in February 2013 to ensure full proportionality. These changes introduced balance seats to prevent parties from losing representation due to the way votes were calculated. Despite these technical adjustments, the campaign remained focused on traditional themes, including Merkel’s economic record, Eurozone stability, and the rise of Eurosceptic sentiment, represented by the Alternative for Germany party, which narrowly missed the five percent threshold.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2013 German federal election
- Also: Wikidata — 2013 German federal election · CC0
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