Germany in the Election Grip: Elections and Economy in Focus

In an unexpected move, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has set the stage for early elections on February 23 by utilizing a constitutional peculiarity to force a national vote. Unlike in France, where the political landscape has yet to find stability following President Emmanuel Macron's call for an early election, the German election scenario could unfold less chaotically according to current polls. The Federal Republic is accustomed to coalition governments, but the growing influence of the far-right poses a challenge reminiscent of the situation in France. The conservative block led by the CDU is ahead with 31 percent, while the AfD comes in at 18 percent. Scholz's SPD reaches 17 percent, and the Greens register 13.4 percent. Since late 2021, Scholz has been leading a fragile tripartite coalition, but he has so far been unable to stimulate the economy, which is now 5 percent smaller than it likely would be without the pandemic and is on a downward path that may be difficult to reverse. Germany's political stage is at a crossroads, with both economic stagnation and political risk on the table. Observers are watching with interest to see how Germany will navigate this political and economic tension.