This document summarizes the major political parties that are likely or not likely to enter the Bundestag in the upcoming German elections. It provides a brief overview of each party including their founding year, ideological stances, leadership, and polling results from the 2009 election and current polls. The parties discussed are CDU, Sozialdemokratische Partei, Freie Demokratische Partei, Bundnis 90/Die Grünen, Die Linke, Piratenpartei Deutschland, and Alternative Für Deutschland.

1. Bundestag elections:
political parties
Yonna Waltersson
News Editor, Dagens Arena

2. Political Parties
Not likely to enter
Likely to enter

3. CDU
• Founded in 1945
• The major catch-all party of the centre-
right.
• Along with Christian Social Union of Bavaria
(CSU) the CDU forms the CDU/CSU grouping in
the Bundestag.
• Angela Merkel more popular than her
party.
• This is something the CDU earns from as
the elction campaign will be shaped by
personality issue.
• 2009: 27,3 %
• Polling at: 37 %
Angela Merkel

4. Sozialdemokratische Partei
• Was established as marxist party in 1875. Re-
established as socialist party after World War II.
• Second major party in German politics.
• Peer Steinbrück lead the party in the election.
• Government programme for the election aims at
providing greater solidarity and social justice.
• Key element of the strategy against poverty is a
general minimum wage of € 8.50 per hour.
• Steinbrücks personal approval ratings are far behind
Angela Merkel.
• 2009: 23 %
• Polling at: 27 %
Sigmar Gabriel

5. Freie Demokratische Partei
• Founded in 1948.
• Part of 14 out of 20 coalition governments
since 1949.
• Pro-business party that promotes free market
economics and individual liberty.
• Has suffered from regional election defeats
and internal conflict.
• Used to be the kingmaker party – this role
now taken by the Green Party.
• Often get support votes from CDU voters.
• Are attacking proposals for minimum wage
• 2009: 14,6 %
• Polling at: 5 %
Philipp Rösler

6. Bundnis 90/Die Grünen
• The Green party was formed 1980, entered
Budestag 1983. United with Bundnis 90 in 1993.
• Appeals to higher income households in urban areas.
• Early on: anti-establishment, eco-libertarian and
post-materialist agenda. Now a broadened
programmatic stance.
• Has earned votes from FDP setbacks.
• Likely kingmaker party: included in three out of
four possible government coalitions.
• Greens benefited from the FDP’s transformation into
a more neo-liberal party
• Katrin Göring-Eckardt and Jürgen Trittin are the top
candidates in the election campaign.
• 2009: 10,7 %
• Polling at: 15 %
Claudia Roth/Cem
Özdemir

7. Die Linke
• Founded in 2007. Merger from post-
communist Party of Democratic Socialism
(PSD) a left-wing breakaway from the SPD.
• Strong in Eastern parts of
Germany, loosing ground in the West
• Appeals to older voters
• Overshadowed by the other small parties
• Are attacking low-wage sector, ”mini jobs”
• Not likely as a government partner
• 2009: 11,9 %
• Polling at: 7 %
Katja
Kipping/Bernd
Riexinger

8. Piratenpartei Deutschland
• Founded in 2006
• Internet freedom and more accessible
politics
• Appealed to young people
• Has entered four state parliaments
• Failed to manage their political victories
• Internal fights
• Online bullying instead of public debates
• So small they do not show in several polls
• In need of a miracle
• 2009: 2 %
• Polling at: -- %
Bernd Schlömer

9. Alternative Für Deutschland
• Founded in april 2013
• Single-issue party: Anti euro/pro EU
• Technocratic revolt
• Sees the euro as a doomed project
• Polls show that 17 percent of voters could
imagine voting for them
• Puts pressure on CDU
• Not likely to enter the Bundestag
• 2009: -- %
• Polling at: 3 %
Konrad
Adam/Frauke
Petri/Bernd
Lucke