By Nalliah Thayabharan

Germany’s political landscape is undergoing a seismic shift as the Bundestag has been officially dissolved triggering snap elections that could reshape the nation’s future.  President Frank-Walter Steinmeier made the dramatic announcement on December 27, 2024 marking a critical moment in German Democratic history. The dissolution follows Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s unexpected loss of a confidence vote on December 16, 2024 effectively ending his coalition government.

The Free Democratic Party’s withdrawal from the ruling coalition precipitated this unprecedented political crisis. The move has left Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party without a parliamentary majority forcing an immediate electoral intervention.

Snap elections are now scheduled for February 23, 2025 – a date carefully negotiated by Germany’s major political parties. It’s a moment that could fundamentally alter the country’s political trajectory since significant changes are brewing. The Christian Democratic Union led by Friedrich Merz is currently leading by 10% over the Social Democratic Party. This shift represents a substantial realignment of German political power.

Alternative for Germany – a far-right and right-wing populist political party is also polling strongly though they continue to face significant challenges in forming potential coalitions. Their rise highlights the growing complexity of Germany’s political landscape.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier emphasized the critical nature of this moment warning against hatred and violence in the upcoming election campaign. He described political stability as a precious asset that must be carefully protected.

The upcoming elections will focus on several critical national issues including economic challenges, immigration policies, support for Ukraine and climate change strategies. Each party will be seeking to present compelling solutions to these complex problems.

Friedrich Merz has already positioned the Christian Democratic Union as an alternative to the current government criticizing Olaf Scholz’s Administration for what he describes as excessive economic regulation. His strategy involves presenting the Christian Democratic Union as a more dynamic and responsive political option.

The dissolution represents more than just a procedural political event – it’s a potential turning point that could reshape Germany’s domestic and international political approach. The
fragmentation of the current coalition signals deeper challenges within the nation’s political system.

Rolf Heinrich Mützenich – leader of the Social Democratic Party’s Parliamentary faction suggested the snap elections would allow German to refocus on what’s truly important. “We can now concentrate on what is really good for our country” he stated indicating a desire to move beyond current political deadlock. The geopolitical implications of these elections extend far beyond Germany’s borders.

With ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and economic uncertainties globally, the next government’s composition will have significant international consequences. As Germany prepares for this critical electoral moment politically the potential for significant political realignment has captured national and international attention making these upcoming elections a pivotal moment in contemporary European politics.  

Germany stands at a crossroads with voters set to determine the future direction of one of Europe’s most powerful and influential economies. The coming weeks will be crucial in shaping Germany’s political landscape.

We are living in a time of worldwide global political crisis, German government’s actions were very shortsighted and very incompetent and more and more Germans no longer feel represented by the political parties. Similar to Canadians, Germans rightly feel that the government no longer represents their interests and that the established parties hardly defer on key political issues. All four political parties – the Social Democrats, the Greens, the Liberals, and the Conservative Christian democrats support a toxic policy mix of participating in US proxy wars such as in Ukraine or in Gaza implementing economic sanctions and rearmament while at the same time cutting social spendings.

So the consequences in Germany are a shrinking economy, poor infrastructure and exploding energy prices and inflation and this unsettles many Germans and they don’t know what party to vote for or out of desperation they may turn to the right to the right-wing parties.

Like Canada, Germany will no longer be recognizable in 10 years time as the German Political parties failed on the issue of peace and abandoned Germany’s anti-war policies and positions.

Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party has become a party of progressive neoliberalism together with a focus on identity politics rather than leftwing class politics – economic and social policy in the interest of the working class people.

The extreme right party is gaining strength so the right-wing alternative for Germany is pulling at over 20% nationwide and even over 30% in some federal states in eastern Germany.

The economy in Germany is very much dependent on the geopolitical interest of the US. The sanctions and the economic warfare against Russia including the energy sanctions hit the German economy while the US economy is benefiting from the energy sanctions exporting more natural gas to European Countries including Germany.

Germany is a country poor in raw materials and strong in exports, so a large part of prosperity depends on industrial value creation, so that’s why Germany needs cheap energy from Russia.

Germany no longer relies on mediation, balancing interests and diplomacy but it’s playing the military card in more and more conflicts around the world, though the conflicts and wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East cannot be resolved militarily.

Germany needs a strong political force that consistently promotes peace diplomacy and negotiated solutions.

To widen the corridor of opinions, Germany should stop the cancel culture which is a poison for democracy. Anyone who does not agree with the mainstream opinion bubble is quickly defamed and this is unworthy for a democracy and it’s poison for Germany’s democracy.

More than half of the Germans no longer dares to speak their mind openly outside of a protected space and this is the poison for democracy.  That’s why bringing back anti-war politics is so important and we have that missing in the US and Canada as well.

Germans are very much not just in support of Israel’s genocide in Gaza but Germany is in many ways a participant and giving so much legal and diplomatic cover and constantly aiding Israel. Germany is after the United States and United Kingdom, the third largest arms and ammunition supplier for Israel.

There’s a popular dissatisfaction among Germans with Europe’s and Germany’s foreign policy of unconditional submission to the US hegemonic policy supporting all these US proxy wars.

Regarding Gaza and Ukraine in principle Europe must become an independent player instead of being a pawn in the conflict and a vassal to the United States.

In view of the suffering in West Asia and especially of the people in Gaza and the West Bank, there is no alternative to an immediate ceasefire. Ceasefire is not everything but without a ceasefire is everything nothing.

By supporting Israeli warfare the West shares responsibility for the mass murder of Palestinians.

The U.S. has done a frighteningly good job of binding its European vassals to itself, not only economically through trade measures and militarily through NATO, but by shaping their whole leadership class via American schools and institutions. Olaf Scholz  and his compatriots literally can’t see the damage they’re doing to their own countries because they’ve so thoroughly bought into the American mindset. The establishment across America, Germany, the UK, France, Canada, Italy seem to all be making the same fatal mistake with no ability to learn from their own or their counterparts’ mistakes. What did repeat though, several times, was US foreign policy causing trouble in Europe’s neighborhood, creating waves of immigrants. The cause of migration is directly linked to their adherence to free trade imperialism and their subservience to Washington. They could easily tackle the problem, but not without breaking with transatlanticism. And so they prefer to not do anything. They’re all going to go down with the Empire. The USA has only expendable pawns.