Bundestagswahl 2017 – Alternative für Deutschland (AfD)

The German “Bundestag” (parliament) is elected every four years. The strongest party, with the highest percentage of total votes, gets to provide the chancellor. (The chancellor is not the president!)

Ever since the first parliamentary election in 1949 the CDU/CSU (party of chancellor Angela Merkel) got the highest percentage, with an exception of the years 1972, 1998, and 2002, when the SPD was the strongest party.

Who is Who?

CDU/CSU (Color Black): Founded in 1950 in West Germany, the CDU has been the dominant political force in the post-war era, leading the government alongside its Bavarian sister party CSU (Christian Social Union). CDU (Christian Democratic Union) has always attracted conservative voters.

SPD (Color Red): The SPD's strong suit has always been social policy (social democratic). It stands for a strong social infrastructure, while also advocating sanctions-based unemployment benefits. (2015 instrumental in introducing a national minimum wage)

The 19th German parliamentary election (“Bundestagswahl”) of 2017 took place September 24, 2017:

Both CDU/CSU and SPD registered a huge loss of votes. CDU and CSU counted 33%, and the SPD got the lowest election result ever in its history, counting 20.5%. The third strongest party is the AfD, with 12.6% and the first time for the AfD to be elected for the German parliament.

Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and its election program:

The AfD (Alternative for Germany) is a right-wing nationalist party, founded five months before the 18th election but did not enter the “Bundestag” in 2013 (4.7% result; 5% needed).

“Since then, Germans have elected the AfD to every state parliament in regional elections as well as the European parliament, though that surge has dipped recently” (currently polling at roughly 8%).

“The AfD has poached voters from all the other major parties (except the Greens), and has simultaneously succeeded in mobilizing many non-voters. The AfD scores best among lower income earners with lower education levels - though that is by no means its exclusive voter base. Its membership, meanwhile, has one significant feature - only 15 percent are women.”

Leaders and members of the “AfD set a much more overtly nationalist, anti-immigrant, anti-Islam agenda, a policy that scored some success during the refugee crisis of 2015. In 2016, the AfD was the only major German party to welcome the election of US President Donald Trump and Britain's decision to leave the EU.”

What does the AfD want/what did they advertise themselves with/what do they believe?

• New national currency (D-Mark again)

• No German FDI into other countries, only investments within Germany

• Seal EU’s borders

• Leave EU if other countries don’t follow AfD’s ideologies

• Encourage foreigners to return to their home countries

• Reverse Germany’s ongoing transition to renewable energy sources (climate change is not man-made)

• Lower VATs

• Identity checks along Germany’s national borders

• Prevent migrants from heading to Germany by setting up holding camps abroad

• Deport anyone whose application for political asylum is rejected

• Islam is not part of German society

Sources:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergebnisse_der_Bundestagswahlen

http://www.dw.com/en/german-election-what-you-need-to-know-about-germanys-political-parties-cdu-csu-spd-afd-fdp-left-party-greens/a-38085900

https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article168883713/Alle-Ergebnisse-und-Grafiken-der-Bundestagswahl-im-Ueberblick.html

http://www.focus.de/finanzen/steuern/afd-wahlprogramm-steuern-mindestlohn-d-mark-das-will-die-afd-veraendern_id_7558610.html