The European Union Centre of Excellence at RMIT University and the European Studies Association Australia and New Zealand (ESAANZ) invite you to this presentation and discussion on the upcoming German federal election.

Angela Merkel will step down at the elections. After 16 years in office, Merkel’s is a hard act to follow, and so far there is no clear favourite among the three candidates vying for the office. But it is not only that there is no favourite for the office of chancellor with less than a month until the election: in this most unpredictable German federal election in decades there is no clear indication which parties will form government, either. Early trends have been reversed, but many options remain open.

The election campaign itself has been lacklustre, dominated by personalities, disasters and scandals about plagiarism, disclosures, and resumé padding. Election manifestos for the major parties have been lofty but not provided any indication how Germany will address its many looming problems such as climate change, an aging population, the challenges of digitalisation and industry transformation in the wake of the pandemic, underinvestment in infrastructure and housing to name just a few.

Presenters