Description: German Chancellor in waiting Friedrich Merz has secured a crucial coalition between his CDU / CSU party and the SPD ahead of a key parliamentary vote which would be needed in order for Merz to be confirmed as the country’s next Chancellor. The existing coalition was announced after CDU / CSU won the elections by tight margins ahead of the far – right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Merz has so far promised to resurrect Germany’s once known industrial and economic power in Europe, pledged extensive defensive spending and Germany’s consolidation of power within the European Union. The elections unraveled the public’s frustration with the previous SPD – led government as the AfD gathered historic voting results accumulating more than 120 seats in the Parliament. The AfD was recently labeled as an extremist organization in its entirety which caused serious upheaval from German political experts and members of the party who filed suit against Germany’s domestic intelligence service.
Impact: Germany is currently in a proverbial political logjam ever since the federal election, as the traditional political landscape was disrupted by the immediate rise of the far – right AfD. Merz, as a Chancellor in waiting, faces existential threats which put Germany, as Europe’s centerpiece in future strategic endeavors, in a tentative geopolitical period of time. The political alliance between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Social Democrats faces a crucial confidence vote on Monday as politicians aim towards moving the country from its post – election stagnant phase. AfD’s classification as an extremist entity could potentially influence some members of parliament to sway their votes, as it was largely perceived as political prosecution and subverting Germany’s democratic culture. Monday’s voting would be crucial for the country’s future as the coalition needs to secure a majority of Parliament votes which would mean upwards of 310. Potential failure in securing the parliamentary support would put Germany in an extended low scale political crisis and further diminish the country’s global and European geopolitical positioning.