This episode of the MCC Votes&Seats podcast provides an analysis of the results of the 2021 German Federal Elections. Prof. Dr. Oliver Lembcke (Ruhr University Bochum) highlights the causes of the fragmentation and levelling of the German party system, explains why the CDU and the Left party (Die Linke) underperformed, and considers the key controversial issues of the coalition negotiations. Furthermore, he also gives some insights into the struggles within the SPD, analyses the position of Olaf Scholz (leader of the SPD), and outlines the main obstacles the next German chancellor had to face. Finally, he makes some reflections on the new government’s policy on European integration.
With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.
