This book examines the 2025 German Federal elections. On the 7th November, 2024, the first Federal government led by a three-party coalition came to a close. This volume argues that the failure of the coalition was symptomatic of broader stresses engulfing the German polity. The book makes this argument in six parts. Part One introduces the volume. Part Two turns to the international context, with a thematic introduction laying out how the international order is placing new demands on German foreign policy followed by chapters on Germany’s international relations with Russia, the USA, the EU and Israel. Part Three focuses on domestic issues, with a thematic introduction prefacing analysis of major areas of salience including immigration, the economy, climate change, social policy, security, and industrial policy. Part Four turns to the parties, with a thematic introduction analysing the changing party landscape, followed by chapters on the political parties themselves. Part Five turns to the contest itself, examining the effectiveness of the party strategies, the debates, voting behaviour and coalition formation. Part Six concludes the volume. This volume will appeal to undergraduate and graduate researchers, along with scholars of German, European and comparative politics.

Ross Campbell is Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the University of West Scotland, UK. He is author of Popular Support for Democracy in Unified Germany: Critical Democrats (Palgrave, 2019) and co-editor of The German Federal Election 2021 (Palgrave, 2023).

Louise K. Davidson-Schmich is Professor of Political Science at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida USA. She is co-author of the the book Gender, Leadership, and Crisis: Possibilities and Perils for Women Leaders (with Farida Jalalzai and Malliga Och) as well as co-editor of the 2023 Palgrave volume The German Federal Election 2021 (with Ross Campbell). Davidson-Schmich is Editor of German Politics and a member of the editorial boards of The European Journal of Politics and Gender, Women Politics and Policy,and German Politics and Society.