Germany: Political Developments and Data in 2021: The End of the Merkel Era

Against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal parliamentary election as well as five regional elections in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin were held in Germany in 2021. For the first time, Germany is now governed by a so-called traffic light coalition of the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP). After 16 years of Angela Merkel's (CDU) chancellorship, Olaf Scholz (SPD) became the new Chancellor. The issue of climate change gained particular traction in the election campaign after devastating floods hit Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia in July. In April, the Federal Constitutional Court had ruled the Climate Protection Act not to be far-reaching enough to protect the rights of future generations, calling for a revision that the outgoing governing coalition completed in June.