Germany: The Electoral Analysis

Germany's Sept. 27 elections resulted in a shift in power. The Christian Democratic Union won a plurality of the votes — 33.8 percent — and its probable coalition partner, the Free Democratic Party (FDP), won 14.6 percent of the votes. The Social Democratic Party won only 23 percent of the vote, losing 76 seats from the previous election in 2005. Although German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party will form a coalition government with its desired partner, the FDP, the FDP's good election result will lead to difficult coalition talks.