2013 German federal election
Contributors to Wikimedia projects
Article Images
Tags: Undo Reverted reference list removal
Line 1: Line 1:{{Short description|none}}
{{Short description|none}}
{{use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox election
{{Infobox election
| country = Germany
| country = Grenada
| type = parliamentary
| type = parliamentary
| previous_election = 2009 German federal election
| previous_election = 2017 German federal election
| previous_year = 2009
| previous_year = 2017
| election_date = {{start date|df=yes|2021|09|26}}{{efn|name="Repeat election"|A repeat election was held on 11 February 2024 for 455 precincts in Berlin. The results shown in this article reflect the legal result of the election following the repeat election.}}
| election_date = {{start date|df=yes|2013|09|22}}
| next_election = 2017 German federal election
| next_election = Next German federal election
| next_year = 2017
| next_year = ''2025''
| outgoing_members = List of members of the 17th Bundestag
| outgoing_members = List of members of the 19th Bundestag
| elected_members = List of members of the 18th Bundestag
| elected_members = List of members of the 20th Bundestag
| seats_for_election = All 631 seats in the [[Bundestag]], including 33 [[Overhang seat|overhang]] and [[Leveling seat|leveling]] seats
| seats_for_election = All 735 seats in the [[Bundestag]], including 137 [[Overhang seat|overhang]] and [[leveling seat]]s
| majority_seats = 316
| majority_seats = 368
| opinion_polls = Opinion polling for the 2013 German federal election
| opinion_polls = Opinion polling for the 2021 German federal election
| registered = 61,946,900 ({{decrease}} 0.4%)
| registered = 61,172,771
| turnout = 71.5% ({{increase}} 0.7[[percentage point|pp]])
| turnout = 76.4% (46,298,338) {{increase}} 0.2[[percentage point|pp]]
| image_size =
| image_size = 160x160px
| image1 = {{CSS image crop|Image =Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel bei einer Wahlkampfveranstaltung 2013 (Recortada).jpg |bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| image1 = {{CSS image crop|Image=Franz_Josef_Degenhardt_(1987)_by_Guenter_Prust.jpg |bSize=113|cWidth=113|cHeight=150}}
| candidate1 = [[Angela Merkel]]
| candidate1 = [[Franz Josef Degenhardt]]
| party1 = CDU/CSU
| party1 = German Communist Party
| last_election1 = 33.8%, 239 seats
| last_election1 = 20.5%, 153 seats
| seats1 = '''311'''
| seats1 = '''450'''
| seat_change1 = {{increase}} 72
| seat_change1 = {{increase}} 53
| popular_vote1 = '''18,165,446'''
| popular_vote1 = '''11,901,556'''
| percentage1 = '''41.5%'''
| percentage1 = 69.6%
| swing1 = {{increase}} 7.7pp
| swing1 = {{increase}} 5.2pp
| image2 = {{CSS image crop|Image =Next Peer Steinbrück (SPD) (cropped).jpg |bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| image2 = {{CSS image crop|Image=Sylvester_Stallone_Cannes_2019.jpg |bSize=113|cWidth=113|cHeight=150}}
| candidate2 = [[Peer Steinbrück]]
| candidate2 = [[Manfred Drang]]
| party2 = Social Democratic Party of Germany
| party2 = Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany
| last_election2 = 23.0%, 146 seats
| last_election2 = 47.5%, 246 seats
| seats2 = 193
| seats2 = 197
| seat_change2 = {{increase}} 47
| seat_change2 = {{decrease}} 49
| popular_vote2 = 11,252,215
| popular_vote2 = 11,177,746
| percentage2 = 25.7%
| percentage2 = 24.8%
| swing2 = {{increase}} 2.7pp
| swing2 = {{decrease}} 8.8pp
| image3 = {{CSS image crop|Image =Gregor Gysi (2013).jpg|bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| image3 = {{CSS image crop|Image=Annalena Baerbock (2021) cropped.jpg |bSize=113|cWidth=113|cHeight=150}}
| candidate3 = [[Annalena Baerbock]]{{efn|name="Baerbock"|[[Annalena Baerbock]] and [[Robert Habeck]] were co-lead candidates, while Baerbock was candidate for Chancellor.}}
| candidate3 = [[Gregor Gysi]]{{efn|Gysi was the leading candidate on a list of 8 top candidates appointed by the party congress. The others were [[Sahra Wagenknecht]], [[Jan van Aken (politician)|Jan van Aken]], [[Dietmar Bartsch]], [[Klaus Ernst]], [[Nicole Gohlke]], Diana Golze, and [[Caren Lay]].}}
| party3 = The Left (Germany)
| party3 = Alliance 90/The Greens
| last_election3 = 11.9%, 76 seats
| last_election3 = 0.5%, 67 seats
| seats3 = 64
| seats3 = 0
| seat_change3 = {{decrease}} 12
| seat_change3 = {{increase}} 51
| popular_vote3 = 3,755,699
| popular_vote3 = 6,814,401
| percentage3 = 0.5%{{efn|The Greens were disqualified from running on the Saarland state list due to irregularities in the selection of list candidates.<ref name="greensListDSQ">{{cite web |last1=Anderson |first1=Emma |title=German Greens must sit out vote in one state during national election |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/german-greens-sit-out-vote-saarland-federal-election-2021/ |website=Politico |access-date=27 September 2021 |date=5 August 2021 |archive-date=22 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022025924/https://www.politico.eu/article/german-greens-sit-out-vote-saarland-federal-election-2021/ |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
| percentage3 = 8.6%
| swing3 = {{decrease}} 3.3pp
| swing3 = {{increase}} 5.8pp
| image4 = {{CSS image crop|Image =German Greens leadership 2013.jpg|bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| image4 = {{CSS image crop|Image=2020-02-14 Christian Lindner (Bundestagsprojekt 2020) by Sandro Halank–2.jpg |bSize=113|cWidth=113|cHeight=150}}
| candidate4 = [[Jürgen Trittin]] & [[Katrin Göring-Eckardt]]
| candidate4 = [[Christian Lindner]]
| party4 = Alliance 90/The Greens
| party4 = Free Democratic Party (Germany)
| last_election4 = 10.7%, 68 seats
| last_election4 = 0.1%, 80 seats
| seats4 = 63
| seats4 = 0
| seat_change4 = {{decrease}} 5
| seat_change4 = {{increase}} 11
| popular_vote4 = 3,694,057
| popular_vote4 = 5,291,010
| percentage4 = 8.4%
| percentage4 = 0.1%
| swing4 = {{decrease}} 2.3pp
| swing4 = {{increase}} 0.7pp
| image5 = {{CSS image crop|Image =13-06-10-dosb-wahlhearing-podium-022 (cropped).jpg|bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}
| image5 = {{CSS image crop|Image=AfD leadership 2021.jpg |bSize=113|cWidth=113|cHeight=150}}
| candidate5 = [[Rainer Brüderle]]
| candidate5 = [[Alice Weidel]]<br />[[Tino Chrupalla]]
| party5 = Free Democratic Party (Germany)
| party5 = Alternative for Germany
| last_election5 = 14.6%, 93 seats
| last_election5 = 0.1%, 94 seats
| seats5 = 0
| seats5 = 0
| seat_change5 = {{decrease}} 93
| seat_change5 = {{decrease}} 11
| popular_vote5 = 2,083,533
| popular_vote5 = 4,809,228
| percentage5 = 4.8%
| percentage5 = 0.1%
| swing5 = {{decrease}} 9.8pp
| swing5 = {{decrease}} 2.2pp
<!-- Linke -->
| map_image = German_Federal_Election_2013_-_Results_By_Constituency.svg
| image6 = {{CSS image crop|Image=Die Linke Leadership 2021.jpg |bSize=113|cWidth=113|cHeight=150}}
| map_size = 350px
| candidate6 = [[Janine Wissler]]<br />[[Dietmar Bartsch]]
| party6 = The Left (Germany)
| last_election6 = 9.2%, 69 seats
| seats6 = 39
| seat_change6 = {{decrease}} 30
| popular_vote6 = 2,255,860
| percentage6 = 4.9%
| swing6 = {{decrease}} 4.3pp
| map_image = German Federal Election 2021 - Results by Constituency & Regional Seats.svg
| map_caption = The left side shows constituency winners of the election by their party colours. The right side shows party list winners of the election for the additional members by their party colours.
| map_caption = The left side shows constituency winners of the election by their party colours. The right side shows party list winners of the election for the additional members by their party colours.
| title = [[Cabinet of Germany|Government]]
| title = [[Cabinet of Germany|Government]]
| before_election = [[Second Merkel cabinet]]
| before_election = [[Fourth Merkel cabinet]]
| before_party = [[CDU/CSU]]–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]
| before_party = [[CDU/CSU]]–[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]
| posttitle = Government after election
| posttitle = Government after election
| after_election = [[Third Merkel cabinet]]
| after_election = [[Scholz cabinet]]
| after_party = [[CDU/CSU]]–[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]
| after_party = [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]–[[Alliance 90/The Greens|Greens]]–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]
| party_colour = yes
}}{{politics of Germany}}
}}{{politics of Germany}}{{2021 German federal election series}}
[[Federal elections in Germany|Federal elections]] were held in [[Germany]] on 26 September 2021 to elect the members of the [[List of members of the 20th Bundestag|20th]] [[Bundestag]]. [[States of Germany|State]] elections in [[2021 Berlin state election|Berlin]] and [[2021 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state election|Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]] were also held. Incumbent chancellor [[Angela Merkel]], first elected in [[2005 German federal election|2005]], chose not to run again, marking the first time that an incumbent [[Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany]] did not seek re-election.
[[Federal elections in Germany|Federal elections]] were held on 22 September to elect the members of the 18th [[Bundestag]] of [[Germany]].<ref name="dates&deadlines">{{cite web |url=http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/bundestagswahlen/BTW_BUND_13/terminkalender_btw13/ |title=Dates and deadlines for the Election to the 18th German Bundestag on 22 September 2013 |publisher=[[Federal Returning Officer|The Federal Returning Officer]] |access-date=23 September 2013 |quote=Casting of votes as a rule from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001182505/http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/bundestagswahlen/BTW_BUND_13/terminkalender_btw13/ |archive-date=1 October 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> At stake were all 598 seats to the Bundestag, plus 33 [[overhang seat]]s determined thereafter. The [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany]]/[[Christian Social Union of Bavaria]] ([[CDU/CSU]]) of incumbent chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] won their best result since [[1990 German federal election|1990]] with nearly 42% of the vote and nearly 50% of the seats, just five short for an overall majority. The [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP) failed to meet the 5% vote [[Electoral threshold in Germany|electoral threshold]] in what was their worst showing ever in a federal election, denying them seats in the Bundestag for the first time in their history.
With 25.7% of total votes, the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany]] (SPD) recorded their best result since 2005, and emerged as the largest party for the first time since [[2002 German federal election|2002]]. The ruling [[CDU/CSU]], which had led a [[Grand coalition (Germany)|grand coalition]] with the SPD since [[2013 German federal election|2013]], recorded their worst ever result with 24.1%, a significant decline from 32.9% in [[2017 German federal election|2017]]. [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] achieved their best result in history at 14.7%, while the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP) made small gains and finished on 11.4%. The [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD) fell from third to fifth place with 10.4%, a decline of 2.3 percentage points. [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] suffered their worst showing since their official formation in 2007, failing to cross the 5% [[electoral threshold]] by just over one-tenth of a percentage point. The party was nonetheless entitled to full proportional representation, as it won three [[List of Bundestag constituencies|direct constituencies]].
As the FDP, the CDU/CSU's junior coalition partner, failed to get any seats and a [[red–green alliance]], which governed Germany from [[1998 German federal election|1998]] to [[2005 German federal election|2005]], did not have enough seats for a majority, the only possible coalition without the CDU/CSU was a left-wing [[red–red–green coalition]] government. Merkel scared it off, and both the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany]] (SPD) and [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] ruled out governing with [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]]. Ultimately, Merkel's party reached a [[coalition agreement]] with the then-main opposition party, the SPD, to form a [[Grand coalition (Germany)|grand coalition]], the third in the country's history since [[World War II]]. The SPD leadership conducted a ratification vote by their broader membership before the agreement was made final. The grand coalition was renewed after the [[2017 German federal election]] due to failure during the negotiations of a [[Jamaica coalition (politics)|Jamaica coalition]].
With a fifth [[Grand coalition (Germany)|grand coalition]] being dismissed by both the CDU/CSU and the SPD, the FDP and the Greens were considered [[kingmaker]]s. On 23 November, following complex [[German governing coalition|coalition]] talks, the SPD, FDP and Greens formalized an agreement to form a [[traffic light coalition]], which was approved by all three parties. [[Olaf Scholz]] and [[Scholz cabinet|his cabinet]] were elected by the Bundestag on 8 December.
Irregularities in Friedrich-Müntzer-Dorf led to repeat elections in [[2023 Berlin state election|February 2023 (state)]] and [[2021 German federal election#Irregularities in Berlin leading to repeat elections|February 2024 (federal)]]. The result of the federal repeat election meant that the FDP lost a seat in the Bundestag, while 3 other seats were moved from Berlin to different states.
== Background ==
== Background ==
=== 2017 federal election and government formation ===
In the [[2009 German federal election]], the [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany]] (CDU) and its sister party, the [[Christian Social Union of Bavaria]] (CSU), and the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP) won the election with [[Angela Merkel]] as [[Chancellor of Germany]] and [[Guido Westerwelle]] as [[Vice-Chancellor of Germany]].<ref>[http://www.lejournalinternational.fr/German-elections-Politikverdrossenheit-and-rightist-fears_a1255.html "German elections: Politikverdrossenheit and rightist fears"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925093510/http://www.lejournalinternational.fr/German-elections-Politikverdrossenheit-and-rightist-fears_a1255.html |date=25 September 2013 }}, Katrin Heilmann, Le Journal International, 22 September 2013</ref>
{{main|2017 German federal election}}
The 2017 federal election was held after a four-year [[Grand coalition (Germany)|grand coalition]] between the [[CDU/CSU]] and the [[SPD]]. Though the CDU/CSU remained the biggest parliamentary group, both it and the SPD suffered significant losses. The SPD leadership, recognising the party's unsatisfactory performance after four years in government, announced that it would go into opposition.<ref>{{cite news|title=Die SPD geht in die Opposition – Schulz bleibt Parteichef|url=http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2017-09/spd-geht-in-die-opposition|newspaper=Die Zeit|date=24 September 2017|access-date=26 September 2017|archive-date=12 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712003037/https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2017-09/spd-geht-in-die-opposition|url-status=live}}</ref> With the CDU/CSU having pledged not to work with eiather the [[AfD]] or [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] before the federal election, the only remaining option for a majority government was a [[Jamaica coalition (politics)|Jamaica coalition]] consisting of the CDU/CSU, [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]], and [[Alliance 90/The Greens|the Greens]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Kommt jetzt Jamaika?|url=http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2017-09/bundestagswahl-2017-live|newspaper=Die Zeit|date=24 September 2017|access-date=26 September 2017|archive-date=11 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211111557/http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2017-09/bundestagswahl-2017-live|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Sondierungsgespräche beginnen kommende Woche|url=http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2017-10/union-sondierungsgespraeche-cdu-csu-obergrenze|agency=Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Agence France-Presse|work=Zeit Online|date=9 October 2017|access-date=20 November 2017|archive-date=11 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711224050/https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2017-10/union-sondierungsgespraeche-cdu-csu-obergrenze|url-status=live}}</ref> Exploratory talks between the parties were held over the next six weeks, though the FDP withdrew from the negotiations on 20 November, citing irreconcilable differences between the parties on migration and energy policies.<ref>{{cite news|title=Endspurt mit strittigen Themen|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/jamaika-klima-migration-101.html|publisher=tagesschau|date=15 November 2017|access-date=20 November 2017|archive-date=11 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111043756/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/jamaika-klima-migration-101.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=FDP bricht Jamaika-Sondierungen ab|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/fdp-sondierungen-abbruch-103.html|publisher=tagesschau|date=20 November 2017|access-date=20 November 2017|archive-date=20 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171120001225/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/fdp-sondierungen-abbruch-103.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] consulted with President [[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]], who implored all parties to reconsider in order to avoid fresh elections.<ref>{{cite news|title=Steinmeier fordert Gesprächsbereitschaft|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/steinmeier-jamaika-abbruch-101.html|publisher=tagesschau|date=20 November 2017|access-date=20 November 2017|archive-date=22 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822041034/http://www.tagesschau.de/inland/steinmeier-jamaika-abbruch-101.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Steinmeiers Mission Impossible|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/jamaika-169.html|publisher=tagesschau|date=21 November 2017|access-date=21 November 2017|archive-date=20 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820220842/http://www.tagesschau.de/inland/jamaika-169.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
The SPD and their leader [[Martin Schulz]] indicated their willingness to enter into discussions for another coalition government with the CDU/CSU.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bundespräsident lädt Chefs von Union und SPD ein|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/frank-walter-steinmeier-laedt-angela-merkel-martin-schulz-und-horst-seehofer-ein-a-1180119.html|publisher=Spiegel Online|date=24 November 2017|access-date=25 November 2017|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109031106/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/frank-walter-steinmeier-laedt-angela-merkel-martin-schulz-und-horst-seehofer-ein-a-1180119.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The SPD leadership voted to enter into exploratory discussion on 15 December 2017<ref>{{cite news|title=Sondierungen ab Januar|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/spd-sondierungen-101.html|publisher=tagesschau|date=15 December 2017|access-date=20 January 2018|archive-date=12 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181212125504/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/spd-sondierungen-101.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and at a party congress in January 2018 a majority of the party's delegates voted to support the coalition talks.<ref>{{cite news|title=Abstimmung muss ausgezähltsssss werden|url=http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2018-01/spd-parteitag-martin-schulz-bonn-live|agency=Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Agence France-Presse, Reuters|work=Zeit Online|date=21 January 2018|access-date=21 January 2018|archive-date=24 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224224752/https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2018-01/spd-parteitag-martin-schulz-bonn-live|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Schulte|first=Markus C.|title=Wie die SPD-Landesverbände zur großen Koalition stehen|url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/groko-spd-sonderparteitag-landesverbaende-1.3832477|work=Süddeutsche Zeitung|date=19 January 2018|access-date=20 January 2018|archive-date=16 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216111502/https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/groko-spd-sonderparteitag-landesverbaende-1.3832477|url-status=live}}</ref> The text of the final agreement was agreed to by the CDU/CSU and the SPD on 7 February, though was conditioned on the approval of a majority of the SPD's party membership.<ref>{{cite news|title=Der Koaliionsvertrag steht|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/groko-einigung-103.html|publisher=tagesschau|date=7 February 2018|access-date=7 February 2018|arcshive-date=7 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207133644/http://www.tagesschau.de/inland/groko-einigung-103.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The 463,723 members of the SPD [[SPD party member vote on the 2018 coalition agreement of Germany|voted to approve or reject the deal]] from 20 February to 2 March,<ref>{{cite news|title=Union und SPD einigen sich auf Koalitionsvertrag|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/nachtsitzung-erfolgreich-durchbruch-bei-koalitionsverhandlungen-von-union-und-spd-15436650.html|newspaper=Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung|date=7 February 2018|access-date=7 February 2018|archive-date=12 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112030916/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/nachtsitzung-erfolgreich-durchbruch-bei-koalitionsverhandlungen-von-union-und-spd-15436650.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=SPD-Mitgliederentscheid vom 20. Februar bis 2. März|url=http://www.zeit.de/news/2018-02/07/spd-mitgliederentscheid-vom-20-februar-bis-2-maerz-180207-99-975259|agency=Deutsche Presse-Agentur|work=Zeit Online|date=7 February 2018|access-date=13 February 2018|archive-date=14 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180214094820/http://www.zeit.de/news/2018-02/07/spd-mitgliederentscheid-vom-20-februar-bis-2-maerz-180207-99-975259|url-status=live}}</ref> with the result announced on 4 March. A total of 78.39% of members cast valid votes, of which 66.02% voted in favor of another grand coalition.<ref>{{cite news|title=SPD-Mitglieder stimmen für große Koalition|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/spd-mitglieder-stimmen-fuer-grosse-koalition-15477409.html|newspaper=Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung|date=4 March 2018|access-date=4 March 2018|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109013902/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/spd-mitglieder-stimmen-fuer-grosse-koalition-15477409.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Merkel was voted in by the Bundestag for a fourth term as chancellor on 14 March, with 364 votes for, 315 against, 9 abstentions, and 4 invalid votes, just 9 more votes than the 355 needed for a majority.<ref>{{cite news|title=Angela Merkel zum vierten Mal zur Kanzlerin gewählt|url=http://www.rp-online.de/politik/deutschland/angela-merkel-zum-vierten-mal-zur-bundeskanzlerin-2018-gewaehlt-aid-1.7454927|agency=Deutsche Presse-Agentur|publisher=RP Online|date=14 March 2018|access-date=14 March 2018|archive-date=22 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422212944/http://www.rp-online.de/politik/deutschland/angela-merkel-zum-vierten-mal-zur-bundeskanzlerin-2018-gewaehlt-aid-1.7454927|url-status=live}}</ref> The new government was officially referred to as the [[Fourth Merkel cabinet]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Scally|first=Derek|date=9 March 2018|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/merkel-s-fourth-cabinet-finally-complete-1.3421397|title=Merkel's fourth cabinet finally complete|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=28 September 2021|archive-date=28 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928180139/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/merkel-s-fourth-cabinet-finally-complete-1.3421397|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Carrel|first1=Paul|last2=Thomasson|first2=Emma|date=27 September 2021|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-spd-seeks-allies-replace-merkel-led-coalition-2021-09-27/|title=Pledging stability, German SPD seeks three-way alliance to succeed Merkel|work=Reuters|access-date=28 September 2021|archive-date=27 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927202810/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-spd-seeks-allies-replace-merkel-led-coalition-2021-09-27/|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Date ==
The date of the federal election is governed by the [[Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany]] (Germany's constitution) and the Federal Election Law (''Bundeswahlgesetz''). Article 39 of the Basic Law states that the Bundestag shall be elected between 46 and 48 months after the beginning of the legislative period.<ref name="Grundgesetz">[http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gg/englisch_gg.html Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103110623/http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gg/englisch_gg.html |date=3 November 2012 }}. Official translation. Retrieved 13 August 2012.</ref> As the 17th Bundestag convened on 27 October 2009, the election was scheduled between 27 August and 27 October 2013.<ref>[http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btp/17/17001.pdf Stenographic protocol of the first session of the Bundestag] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531121940/http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btp/17/17001.pdf |date=31 May 2016 }}. 27 October 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2012.</ref> To avoid school holidays, a date in late September is usually chosen; this made 15 or 22 September 2013 the most likely dates.<ref>[http://www.wahlrecht.de/termine.htm Dates for elections in Germany] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225024313/http://www.wahlrecht.de/termine.htm |date=25 February 2017 }}. Wahlrecht.de. Retrieved 13 August 2012.</ref> The [[President of Germany]] ordered 22 September 2013 to be the election day upon the recommendation of the federal government.<ref>[http://www.bundespraesident.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/DE/2013/02/130208-Bundestagswahl.html?nn=1892032 Anordnung des Bundespräsidenten über die Bundestagswahl 2013] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224194740/http://www.bundespraesident.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/DE/2013/02/130208-Bundestagswahl.html?nn=1892032 |date=24 February 2015 }}. Website of the German Federal President. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.</ref>
=== Party leadership changes and political instability ===
Polling stations were open from 8:00 to 18:00.<ref name="dates&deadlines"/>
Merkel's final government was subject to intense instability. The [[2018 German government crisis]] saw the longstanding alliance between the CDU and CSU threaten to split over [[asylum seeker]] policy. Interior Minister and CSU leader [[Horst Seehofer]] threatened to undercut Merkel's authority by closing German borders for asylum seekers registered in another [[European Union]] (EU) country. The split, eventually repaired following a summit with EU countries, threatened to bring down the government.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2018/0709/Immigration-deal-saves-German-government-points-to-European-future|title=Immigration deal saves German government, points to European future|journal=Christian Science Monitor|date=9 July 2018|access-date=31 July 2018|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109032959/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2018/0709/Immigration-deal-saves-German-government-points-to-European-future|url-status=live}}</ref> Following his party's historically low result in the [[2018 Bavarian state election]], Seehofer was replaced as CSU leader by new Bavarian Minister-President [[Markus Söder]] at a party conference in January 2019, while he retained his position as Interior Minister in the Fourth Merkel cabinet.<ref>{{cite news|last=Poltz|first=Joern|date=19 January 2019|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-politics-csu/leader-of-bavarian-csu-promises-new-start-with-merkels-party-idUSKCN1PD0G2|title=Leader of Bavarian CSU promises new start with Merkel's party|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108001507/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-politics-csu/leader-of-bavarian-csu-promises-new-start-with-merkels-party-idUSKCN1PD0G2|archive-date=8 November 2020|work=Reuters|access-date=4 October 2021}}</ref>
In October 2018, Merkel announced that she would resign as leader of the CDU at the party's conference in December 2018 and step down as [[Chancellor of Germany]] at the forthcoming election, following poor results at state elections for the CSU in Bavaria and for the CDU in [[2018 Hessian state election|Hesse]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/29/angela-merkel-wont-seek-re-election-as-cdu-party-leader|title=German chancellor Angela Merkel will not seek re-election in 2021|last=Le Blond|first=Josie|date=29 October 2018|website=the Guardian|access-date=29 October 2018|archive-date=17 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217163832/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/29/angela-merkel-wont-seek-re-election-as-cdu-party-leader|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/merkels-coalition-mulls-implications-german-state-vote-58820813|title=Angela Merkel won't seek 5th term as German chancellor|last1=Moulson|first1=Geir|last2=Rising|first2=David|agency=Associated Press|access-date=29 October 2018|date=29 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029113821/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/merkels-coalition-mulls-implications-german-state-vote-58820813|archive-date=29 October 2018|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Merkel's allegedly preferred candidate for the party leadership, [[Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer]], narrowly defeated [[Friedrich Merz]], who had been a rival of Merkel around 2002 and had left politics in 2009 criticising her decisions and leadership.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/annegret-kramp-karrenbauer-elected-to-succeed-merkel-as-cdu-leader/|title=Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer elected to succeed Merkel as CDU leader|date=7 December 2018|website=Politico|access-date=4 October 2021|archive-date=10 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110125654/https://www.politico.eu/article/annegret-kramp-karrenbauer-elected-to-succeed-merkel-as-cdu-leader/|url-status=live}}</ref> Kramp-Karrenbauer struggled to unify the party's liberal and conservative factions, and in February 2020, when she failed to lead the Thuringia state CDU towards a solution of the [[2020 Thuringian government crisis|government crisis]] there, she announced her intention to withdraw her interest in running as the CDU nominee for chancellor at the election and step down as party leader.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/10/annegret-kramp-karrenbauer-to-quit-as-cdu-leader-amid-far-right-firewall-row|title=Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to quit as CDU leader amid far-right 'firewall' row|work=The Guardian|date=10 February 2020|access-date=11 February 2020|archive-date=9 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109135840/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/10/annegret-kramp-karrenbauer-to-quit-as-cdu-leader-amid-far-right-firewall-row|url-status=live}}</ref> A party convention to elect a new leader was scheduled for April but was repeatedly delayed due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Germany|COVID-19 pandemic]]. [[2021 Christian Democratic Union of Germany leadership election|The election]] was held in January 2021, with [[Armin Laschet]], incumbent Minister-President of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], winning with 52.8% of delegate votes. Merz was his main opponent at 47.2%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/angela-merkel-national-elections-coronavirus-pandemic-elections-germany-2be065e51c2eb729d8b7b5ba8f23f183|title=Pragmatic governor Laschet elected to lead Merkel's party|date=16 January 2021|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=16 January 2021|archive-date=25 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125140517/https://apnews.com/article/angela-merkel-national-elections-coronavirus-pandemic-elections-germany-2be065e51c2eb729d8b7b5ba8f23f183|url-status=live}}</ref>
The other party in the coalition government, the SPD, also had leadership instability. Following their worst general election result since 1945, at the beginning of the new government the party elected [[Andrea Nahles]] as their leader in April 2018. Nahles had already been elected leader of the SPD parliamentary group after the federal election in September when the party still planned to go into opposition.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-04-22|title=Parteitag: Nahles mit 66 Prozent zur SPD-Chefin gewählt|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/nahles-spd-103.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422155124/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/nahles-spd-103.html|archive-date=2018-04-22|access-date=2020-11-23|website=tagesschau.de|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Schwartz|first=Madeleine|date=2018-04-22|title=Andrea Nahles: German SPD's last hope|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/andrea-nahles-spd-germany-last-hope/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=POLITICO|language=en-US|archive-date=30 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030201831/https://www.politico.eu/article/andrea-nahles-spd-germany-last-hope/|url-status=live}}</ref> She was unsuccessful in improving the party's stock with the electorate as it continued to slide in opinion polls and was for the first time in history well beaten by the centre-left party [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] at the [[2019 European Parliament election in Germany|2019 European Parliament election]]. She resigned on 2 June 2019, precipitating a [[2019 Social Democratic Party of Germany leadership election|leadership election]] for the SPD.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/germanys-spd-leader-andrea-nahles-081557066.html|title=German SPD leader Nahles quits as party's popularity hits low|date=2 June 2019|access-date=2 June 2019|archive-date=8 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108002722/https://news.yahoo.com/germanys-spd-leader-andrea-nahles-081557066.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Progressive candidates [[Norbert Walter-Borjans]] and [[Saskia Esken]] defeated the more moderate candidates [[Olaf Scholz]] and [[Klara Geywitz]], and were elected co-leaders by the party's membership. Their election raised prospects of the coalition government collapsing and early elections being called, although [[Reuters]] reported that the duo would seek to achieve agreement from the CDU/CSU on increasing public spending rather than allow the government to collapse.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://reuters.com/article/us-germany-politics-spd/new-spd-leaders-pull-back-from-sinking-german-coalition-idUSKBN1Y722P|title=New SPD leaders pull back from sinking German coalition|date=20 January 2020|work=Reuters|access-date=11 February 2020|archive-date=8 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408072912/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-politics-spd/new-spd-leaders-pull-back-from-sinking-german-coalition-idUSKBN1Y722P|url-status=live}}</ref> In August 2020, the party appointed Merkel's deputy [[Vice-Chancellor of Germany|Vice-Chancellor]] Scholz as its candidate for chancellor at the election, despite him having lost to Walter-Borjans and Esken in the party leadership election.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/olaf-scholz-chancellor-candidate/a-54508463|title=Germany: SPD confirms Olaf Scholz to run for chancellor|work=dw.com|date=10 August 2020|access-date=22 March 2021|archive-date=4 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204030604/https://www.dw.com/en/olaf-scholz-chancellor-candidate/a-54508463|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[Cem Özdemir]] and [[Simone Peter]] stood down as co-leaders of the Greens after the failed Jamaica negotiations, and [[Annalena Baerbock]] and [[Robert Habeck]] were elected as their successors in January 2018. Dissatisfaction with the SPD and the federal government saw a rise in Greens' polling numbers throughout 2018. They scored record results in the [[2018 Bavarian state election|Bavarian]] and [[2018 Hessian state election|Hessian]] state elections in October and subsequently surpassed the SPD in public opinion, settling in second behind the CDU/CSU for the next three years. The party had its best ever showings at the 2019 European Parliament election, [[2020 Hamburg state election]], and [[2021 Baden-Württemberg state election]]. They briefly polled in first place during two brief periods, first after the 2019 European Parliament election and again after the nomination of chancellor candidates in April 2021.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-politics-poll-idUSKCN1T23F7|title=Germany's Greens shoot into first place in poll, overtaking Merkel's conservatives|date=2 June 2019|access-date=2 June 2019|archive-date=1 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190601230538/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-politics-poll-idUSKCN1T23F7|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] also underwent a change in leadership, with [[Katja Kipping]] and [[Bernd Riexinger]] stepping down after nine years as party co-leaders. They were succeeded by [[Janine Wissler]] and [[Susanne Hennig-Wellsow]] at a party conference held digitally on 27 February 2021. Wissler is considered a member of the party's left wing, formerly aligned with the [[Socialist Left (Germany)|Socialist Left]] faction, while Hennig-Wellsow is considered a moderate and part of the party's pragmatic wing. Both support their party's participation in federal government, particularly Hennig-Wellsow, who played a major role in the [[red–red–green coalition]] government of The Left, the SPD, and the Greens in the state of [[Thuringia]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/die-linke-vorstand-das-sind-janine-wissler-und-susanne-hennig-wellsow-a-7e6ed86d-4e58-42cc-90db-d5c5279d0fe3|title=Left and loud|date=27 February 2021|newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]]|access-date=27 February 2021|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227120134/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/die-linke-vorstand-das-sind-janine-wissler-und-susanne-hennig-wellsow-a-7e6ed86d-4e58-42cc-90db-d5c5279d0fe3|url-status=live|last1=Lehmann|first1=Timo|last2=Röhlig|first2=Marc}}</ref>
== Electoral system ==
== Electoral system ==
{{further|Elections in Germany|Politics of Germany}}
According to Article 38 of the [[Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany]], members of the Bundestag shall be elected in general, direct, free, equal, and secret elections; everyone over the age of eighteen is entitled to vote.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg/art_38.html|title=GG - Art 38|website=www.gesetze-im-internet.de|language=de|trans-title=Basic Law: Article 38|access-date=2016-08-18|archive-date=14 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814195324/http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg/art_38.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
Germany uses the [[mixed-member proportional representation]] system, a system of [[proportional representation]] combined with elements of [[first-past-the-post voting]]. The Bundestag has 598 nominal members, elected for a four-year term; these seats are distributed between the sixteen German states in proportion to the states' number of eligible voters.<ref name="system">{{cite web|author1=Martin Fehndrich|author2=Wilko Zicht|author3=Matthias Cantow|url=http://www.wahlrecht.de/bundestag/index.htm|title=Wahlsystem der Bundestagswahl|publisher=Wahlrecht.de|date=22 September 2017|access-date=26 September 2017|archive-date=12 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112014159/http://www.wahlrecht.de/bundestag/index.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
Each voter can cast two votes: a [[List of Bundestag constituencies|constituency vote]] (first vote) and a [[State list (Germany)|state party list]] vote (second vote). Based solely on the first votes, 299 members are elected in [[single-member constituency|single-member constituencies]] by first-past-the-post voting. The second votes are used to produce a proportional number of seats for parties, first in the states, and then in the Bundestag. Seats are allocated using the [[Sainte-Laguë method]]. If a party wins fewer constituency seats in a state than its second votes would entitle it to, it receives additional seats from the relevant state list. Parties can file lists in every single state under certain conditions, such as a fixed number of supporting signatures. Parties can receive second votes only in those states in which they have filed a state list.<ref name="system"/> If a party, by winning single-member constituencies in one state, receives more seats than it would be entitled to according to its second vote share in that state, the excess seats become known as [[overhang seats]]; to avoid [[negative vote weight]], those overhang seats are compensated for in the other states, restoring proportionality according to second votes cast nationwide.<ref name="system"/>
In 2008, some modifications to the electoral system were required under an order of the [[Federal Constitutional Court of Germany]]. The court had found a provision in the Federal Election Law by which it was possible for a party to experience a [[negative vote weight]], namely losing seats due to more votes, violated the constitutional guarantee of the electoral system being equal and direct.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bverfg.de/entscheidungen/cs20080703_2bvc000107.html|title=Federal Constitutional Court decision on the Federal Election Law|date=3 July 2008 |publisher=Bverfg.de|access-date=20 September 2013|archive-date=21 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054240/http://www.bverfg.de/entscheidungen/cs20080703_2bvc000107.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The court allowed three years for these changes, so the [[2009 German federal election]] was not affected. The changes were due by 30 June 2011 but appropriate legislation was not completed by that deadline. A new electoral law was enacted in late 2011 but was declared unconstitutional once again by the Federal Constitutional Court upon lawsuits from the opposition parties and a group of some 4,000 private citizens.<ref>[http://www.bverfg.de/entscheidungen/fs20120725_2bvf000311.html Decision of the Federal Constitutional Court] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819083228/http://www.bverfg.de/entscheidungen/fs20120725_2bvf000311.html |date=19 August 2012 }}. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.</ref>
To qualify for proportional seat distribution, a party must receive more second votes nationwide than the [[electoral threshold]] of 5%. This requirement is waived for parties winning at least three single-member constituencies.{{efn|Parties winning one or two single-member constituencies retain those single-member constituency seats but do not win any proportional seats. This happened in the [[2002 German federal election]], where the [[Party of Democratic Socialism (Germany)|PDS]] won two single-member constituencies in the state of Berlin, while failing the electoral threshold with 4.0% of second votes received. Subsequently, the party was represented with two seats in the 15th Bundestag.}} As result of this waiver,{{efn|In the [[1949 West German federal election]], the threshold and waiver applied on a statewide level. In the [[1953 West German federal election]], only one single-member constituency was required for the waiver, benefiting the [[Centre Party (Germany)|Centre Party]] and the [[German Party (1947)|German Party]].}} parties have benefited on three occasions, such as the [[German Party (1947)|DP]] in the [[1957 West German federal election]] and the [[Party of Democratic Socialism (Germany)|PDS]] in the [[1994 German federal election]]. Parties representing recognized national minorities are exempt from the electoral threshold. As of 2021, these minorities are the [[Danish minority of Southern Schleswig|Danish]], [[Frisians]], [[Sorbs]], and [[Romani people]].<ref name="system"/><ref name="Background information for the 2021 Bundestag Election: parties representing national minorities - The Federal Returning Officer">{{cite web|url=https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/info/presse/mitteilungen/bundestagswahl-2021/16_21_parteien-nationaler-minderheiten.html|title=Background information for the 2021 Bundestag Election: parties representing national minorities|date=16 July 2021|website=[[Federal Returning Officer]]|access-date=31 August 2021|archive-date=29 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829104013/https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/info/presse/mitteilungen/bundestagswahl-2021/16_21_parteien-nationaler-minderheiten.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
Four of the five factions in the Bundestag agreed on an electoral reform whereby the number of seats in the Bundestag will be increased as much as necessary to ensure that any [[overhang seat]]s are [[Overhang seat#Dealing with overhang seats|compensated]] through apportioned [[leveling seat]]s, to ensure full proportionality according to the political party's share of party votes at the national level.<ref>[http://dipbt.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/17/118/1711819.pdf Bill amending the Federal Election Law] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121224192943/http://dipbt.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/17/118/1711819.pdf |date=24 December 2012 }}. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2012.</ref> The Bundestag approved and enacted the new electoral reform in February 2013.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2013-02/bundestag-wahlrecht-beschluss|title=Bundestag: Deutschland hat ein neues Wahlrecht|date=2013-02-22|newspaper=Die Zeit|language=de|trans-title=Germany has a new electoral law|issn=0044-2070|access-date=2016-08-18|archive-date=21 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054549/http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2013-02/bundestag-wahlrecht-beschluss|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Date assignment process ===
The Bundestag is elected using [[mixed-member proportional representation]], meaning that each voter has two votes, a first vote for the election of a constituency candidate by [[first-past-the-post]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bwahlg/__5.html|title=BWahlG - § 5 Wahl in den Wahlkreisen|website=www.gesetze-im-internet.de|language=de|trans-title=Federal Election Act: Section 5|access-date=2016-08-18|archive-date=6 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006104512/https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bwahlg/__5.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and a second vote for the election of a state list.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bwahlg/__4.html|title=BWahlG - § 4 Stimmen|website=www.gesetze-im-internet.de|language=de|trans-title=Federal Election Act: Section 4|access-date=2016-08-18|archive-date=6 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006104554/https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bwahlg/__4.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Sainte-Laguë/Schepers]] method is used to convert the votes into seats,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/glossar/texte/Saint_Lague_Schepers.html|title=Der Bundeswahlleiter|website=www.bundeswahlleiter.de|access-date=2016-08-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923232232/https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/glossar/texte/Saint_Lague_Schepers.html|archive-date=23 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> in a two-stage process with each stage involving two calculations. First, the number of seats to be allocated to each state is calculated, based on the proportion of the German population living there. Then the seats in each state are allocated to the party lists in that state, based on the proportion of second votes each party received.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bwahlg/__6.html|title=BWahlG - § 6|website=www.gesetze-im-internet.de|language=de|trans-title=Federal Election Act: Section 6|access-date=2016-08-18|archive-date=6 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006104513/https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bwahlg/__6.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
The [[Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany]] and the Federal Election Act provides that federal elections must be held on a Sunday or on a federal holiday{{efn|In Germany, many holidays are determined on state level and therefore do not apply for all Germans. Federal holidays are [[New Year's Day]], [[Good Friday]], [[Easter Monday]], [[Labour Day]], [[Ascension Day]], [[Whit Monday]], [[German Unity Day]], First [[Christmas Day]], and Second Christmas Day ([[Boxing Day]]).}} no earlier than 46 and no later than 48 months after the first sitting of the preceding session, unless a [[Snap election in Germany|snap election]] is called or a [[state of defence]] is declared.<ref name="date-1">{{cite web|title=Wahl zum 19. Deutschen Bundestag am 24. September 2017|url=https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2017.html|publisher=Der Bundeswahlleiter|access-date=26 September 2017|archive-date=8 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108095220/https://bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2017.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Under this rule, the 2021 federal election had to take place on a Sunday between 29 August and 24 October (inclusive), as the previous 19th Bundestag had held its first sitting on 24 October 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=Neu gewählter Bundestag tritt am 24. Oktober erstmals zusammen|url=https://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2017/kw40-konstituierende-sitzung/527140|publisher=Deutscher Bundestag|date=5 October 2017|access-date=8 October 2017|archive-date=8 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008153331/http://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2017/kw40-konstituierende-sitzung/527140|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[President of Germany]] sets the exact date for the election.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bwahlg/__16.html|title=§ 16 BWahlG - Einzelnorm|website=gesetze-im-internet.de|access-date=24 April 2019|archive-date=17 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117162229/https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bwahlg/__16.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On 9 December 2020, President [[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]] ordered the election to be held on 26 September 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bundespraesident.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/DE/2020/12/201209-Bundestagswahl.html|title=www.bundespraesident.de: Der Bundespräsident / Pressemitteilungen / Bundespräsident Steinmeier fertigt Anordnung über Bundestagswahl aus|website=www.bundespraesident.de|access-date=14 January 2021|archive-date=25 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125215903/https://www.bundespraesident.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/DE/2020/12/201209-Bundestagswahl.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Observers and false claims of voter fraud ===
In the distribution of seats among state lists, only parties that have obtained at least five percent of the valid second votes cast in the electoral area or have won a seat in at least three constituencies are taken into consideration.<ref name=":0"/> The minimum number of seats for each party at federal level is then determined. This is done by calculating, for each party state list, the number of constituency seats it won on the basis of the first votes, as well as the number of seats to which it is entitled on the basis of the second votes. The higher of these two figures is the party's minimum number of seats in that state. Adding together the minimum number of seats to which the party is entitled in all of the states produces a total representing its guaranteed minimum number of seats in the country as a whole.<ref name=":0" />
For the fourth time since [[2009 German federal election|2009]], the 2021 federal election was observed by [[OSCE]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/politics/election-in-germany-osce-observers-will-be-there|title=Well-run election?|website=Deutschland.de|date=5 September 2021|access-date=30 September 2021|archive-date=30 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930151853/https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/politics/election-in-germany-osce-observers-will-be-there|url-status=live}}</ref> providing four experts from three OSCE states.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/germany/493561|title=Parliamentary Elections, 26 September 2021|publisher=OSCE|date=14 September 2021|access-date=30 September 2021|archive-date=30 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930075501/https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/germany/493561|url-status=live}}</ref>
The [[Center for Monitoring, Analysis and Strategy]] (CeMAS) found that false claims of voter fraud had become commonplace on [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] in Germany, with accusations against [[Dominion Voting Systems]] being common despite the company's technology not being used in German elections. CeMAS researcher Miro Dittrich said, "We have seen far-right actors try to claim election fraud since at least 2016, but it didn't take off. When [[Donald Trump|Trump]] started telling the '[[Big lie#Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election|big lie]]', it became a big issue in Germany, sometimes bigger than the pandemic, because [[German far-right|far-right groups]] and the AfD are carefully monitoring the success Trump is having with this narrative."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stanley-Becker |first=Isaac |date=25 September 2021 |title=Election fraud, QAnon, Jan. 6: Far-right extremists in Germany read from a pro-Trump script |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/09/25/german-election-far-right-trump/ |access-date=2022-11-23 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
In order to ensure that each party receives its guaranteed minimum number of seats when the seats are allocated using the Sainte-Laguë/Schepers method, it may become necessary to increase the number of seats in the Bundestag. Then it must be ensured that the seats are distributed to the parties in line with their national share of the second votes.<ref name=":0" /> Additional overhang seats, or balance seats, are created to ensure that the distribution of the seats reflects the parties' share of the second votes and that no party receives fewer than its guaranteed minimum number of seats. Balance seats are also necessary to ensure that each party requires roughly the same number of second votes per seat. Once the number of seats which each party is entitled to receive across the country has been determined, the seats are allocated to the parties' individual state lists. Each state list must receive at least as many seats as the number of constituencies which the party won in the state in question.<ref name=":0" />
== Chancellor-candidates ==
== Political parties and candidates ==
{{main|Candidates of the 2021 German federal election}}
Although the chancellor-candidates (''Kanzlerkandidaten'') play a very important role in election campaigns, their office is not regulated in any law, and it is up to each party to determine how, and if at all, to name a chancellor-candidate. The SPD names a chancellor-candidate, while the CDU and the CSU name a common one. The smaller Bundestag parties (the FDP, the Left, and the Greens) usually<ref>The FDP named their chairman, Guido Westerwelle, chancellor-candidate in [[2002 German federal election|2002]].</ref> do not name a chancellor-candidate as it is very improbable for such a candidate to actually be elected chancellor. They instead name one or two persons (''Spitzenkandidaten'') who are to become the faces of that party's campaign. Although there is nearly no chance for them to win seats in the Bundestag, especially due to the required minimum quota of votes required to be granted any seats, and much less have their candidate become chancellor, fringe parties sometimes name a chancellor-candidate, such as the Bürgerrechtsbewegung Solidarität with its chancellor-candidate [[Helga Zepp-LaRouche]] in the 2009 federal election.<ref>[http://www.helga-zepp-larouche.de/node/118 Die BüSo wird Recht behalten: Weltfinanzsystem kurz vor der Desintegration!] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927211203/http://www.helga-zepp-larouche.de/node/118 |date=27 September 2013 }}. Retrieved 13 August 2012.</ref>
{{see also|List of political parties in Germany}}
The table below lists the parliamentary groups of the 19th [[Bundestag]].
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" rowspan="2" | Name
! rowspan="2"| Ideology
! rowspan="2"| Leading<br />candidate(s)
! rowspan="2"| Leader(s)
! colspan="2"| 2017 result
|-
! {{nowrap|Votes (%)}}
! Seats
|-
| rowspan="2" style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}};"|
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''CDU/CSU'''
| style="text-align:center;"| '''CDU'''
| {{Nowrap|[[Christian Democratic Union of Germany]]<br />{{small|''Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands''}}}}
| rowspan="2"| [[Christian democracy]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Armin Laschet]]
| Armin Laschet
| style="text-align:center;"| 26.8%
| rowspan="2"| {{Composition bar|246|709|{{party color|CDU/CSU}}}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| '''CSU'''
| [[Christian Social Union in Bavaria]]<br />{{small|''Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern''}}
| [[Markus Söder]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 6.2%{{efn|CSU received 38.8% in Bavaria. It only fields candidates in Bavaria, where the CDU does not field candidates.}}
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}};"|
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''SPD'''
| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany]]<br />{{small|''Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands''}}
| [[Social democracy]]
| [[Olaf Scholz]]
| [[Saskia Esken]]<br />[[Norbert Walter-Borjans]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 20.5%
| {{Composition bar|153|709|{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}}}
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Alternative for Germany}};"|
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''AfD'''
| [[Alternative for Germany]]<br />{{small|''Alternative für Deutschland''}}
| [[Right-wing populism]]
| [[Alice Weidel]]<br />[[Tino Chrupalla]]
| [[Jörg Meuthen]]<br />Tino Chrupalla
| style="text-align:center;"| 12.6%
| {{Composition bar|94|709|{{party color|Alternative for Germany}}}}
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}};"|
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''FDP'''
| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]]<br />{{small|''Freie Demokratische Partei''}}
| [[Classical liberalism]]
| [[Christian Lindner]]
| Christian Lindner
| style="text-align:center;"| 10.7%
| {{Composition bar|80|709|{{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}}}
|-
| style="background:{{party color|The Left (Germany)}};"|
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''Linke'''
| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]]<br />{{small|''Die Linke''}}
| {{nowrap|[[Democratic socialism]]}}
| [[Janine Wissler]]<br />[[Dietmar Bartsch]]
| Janine Wissler<br />{{nowrap|[[Susanne Hennig-Wellsow]]}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 9.2%
| {{Composition bar|69|709|{{party color|The Left (Germany)}}}}
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}};"|
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''Grüne'''
| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]]<br />{{small|''Bündnis 90/Die Grünen''}}
| [[Green politics]]
| {{nowrap|[[Annalena Baerbock]]}}{{efn|name="Baerbock"}}<br />[[Robert Habeck]]
| Annalena Baerbock<br />Robert Habeck
| style="text-align:center;"| 8.9%
| {{Composition bar|67|709|{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}}}
|}
=== Lead candidates ===
After the election of [[List of Ministers-President of North Rhine-Westphalia|Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia]], Armin Laschet as federal CDU chairman in January 2021, he became the presumptive CDU nominee for the Union's joint chancellor candidacy. Laschet was challenged by [[List of Ministers-President of Bavaria|Minister-President of Bavaria]] Markus Söder of the CSU, who consistently polled well among voters and had been discussed as a potential candidate since mid-2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/what-will-germanys-foreign-policy-be-after-angela-merkel/a-56722717|title=What will Germany's foreign policy be after Angela Merkel?|date=28 February 2021|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=1 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301130526/https://www.dw.com/en/what-will-germanys-foreign-policy-be-after-angela-merkel/a-56722717|url-status=live}}</ref> As the contest intensified in March/April 2021, Söder was backed by the CSU as well as some state and local CDU associations, while Laschet received the support of most of the CDU. The two men failed to come to an agreement by the given deadline of 19 April,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/germany-cdu-csu-rivals-unable-to-break-impasse-on-merkels-successor/a-57250977|title=Germany: CDU/CSU rivals unable to break impasse on Merkel's successor|date=19 April 2021|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|access-date=20 April 2021|archive-date=19 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419165232/https://www.dw.com/en/germany-cdu-csu-rivals-unable-to-break-impasse-on-merkels-successor/a-57250977|url-status=live}}</ref> leading the federal CDU board to hold an impromptu meeting to break the deadlock. The board voted 31 to 9 in favour of Laschet.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/germany-cdu-party-board-backs-armin-laschet-as-chancellor-candidate/a-57258957|title=Germany: CDU party board backs Armin Laschet as chancellor candidate|date=19 April 2021|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|access-date=20 April 2021|archive-date=20 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420012636/https://www.dw.com/en/germany-cdu-party-board-backs-armin-laschet-as-chancellor-candidate/a-57258957|url-status=live}}</ref> After the vote, Söder announced his support for Laschet as chancellor candidate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/germany-markus-s%C3%B6der-backs-armin-laschet-for-chancellor/a-57261550|title=Germany: Markus Söder backs Armin Laschet for chancellor|date=20 April 2021|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|access-date=20 April 2021|archive-date=20 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420113235/https://www.dw.com/en/germany-markus-s%C3%B6der-backs-armin-laschet-for-chancellor/a-57261550|url-status=live}}</ref>
On 10 August 2020, the SPD nominated incumbent [[Vice-Chancellor of Germany|Vice Chancellor]] and [[Federal Ministry of Finance (Germany)|Finance Minister]] [[Olaf Scholz]] as their lead candidate for the election. Scholz, who served as [[Mayor of Hamburg]] from 2011 to 2018, unsuccessfully sought the SPD leadership in the [[2019 Social Democratic Party of Germany leadership election|2019 leadership election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-politics-scholz/german-social-democrats-pick-finance-minister-scholz-as-chancellor-candidate-idUSKCN2560TJ|title=German Social Democrats pick finance minister Scholz as chancellor candidate|date=10 August 2020|publisher=[[Reuters]]|access-date=16 August 2020|archive-date=8 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108224517/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-politics-scholz/german-social-democrats-pick-finance-minister-scholz-as-chancellor-candidate-idUSKCN2560TJ|url-status=live}}</ref> Scholz was formally elected at a party conference on 8–9 May 2021, supported by 96% of delegates.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/germany-spd-officially-names-olaf-scholz-as-chancellor-candidate/a-57478537|date=9 May 2021|title=SPD officially names Olaf Scholz as chancellor candidate|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|access-date=10 May 2021|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510031348/https://www.dw.com/en/germany-spd-officially-names-olaf-scholz-as-chancellor-candidate/a-57478537|url-status=live}}</ref>
The AfD's lead candidates were chosen via a membership vote held from 17 to 24 May 2021. The ticket of party co-chairman [[Tino Chrupalla]] and Bundestag co-leader [[Alice Weidel]] were elected with 71% of votes; they were opposed by the ticket of former [[German Air Force]] lieutenant-general Joachim Wundrak and MdB [[Joana Cotar]], who won 24%. 14,815 votes were cast, corresponding to a turnout of 48%.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/afd-alice-weidel-und-tino-chrupalla-zu-spitzenkandidaten-fuer-die-bundestagswahl-gewaehlt-a-1bab108e-ab82-46e0-acc9-520b3c31751f|title=Weidel and Chrupalla elected top candidates for the AfD|date=25 May 2021|language=de|website=[[Der Spiegel]]|access-date=25 May 2021|archive-date=25 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525073628/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/afd-alice-weidel-und-tino-chrupalla-zu-spitzenkandidaten-fuer-die-bundestagswahl-gewaehlt-a-1bab108e-ab82-46e0-acc9-520b3c31751f|url-status=live}}</ref>
On 21 March 2021, the FDP association in North Rhine-Westphalia elected federal chairman [[Christian Lindner]] as top candidate for the party list in that state.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/nordrhein-westfalen-zieht-mit-lindner-als-spitzenkandidat-in-die-bundestagswahl-a-cea69fd2-b3d5-4fae-824b-4705bd2c10f6|title=FDP elects Lindner as the top candidate for the Bundestag|date=21 March 2021|newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]]|access-date=12 April 2021|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412084514/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/nordrhein-westfalen-zieht-mit-lindner-als-spitzenkandidat-in-die-bundestagswahl-a-cea69fd2-b3d5-4fae-824b-4705bd2c10f6|url-status=live}}</ref> He was re-elected as chairman on 14 May, winning 93% of votes with no opponent. The vote also served to confirm him as lead candidate for the federal election.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/digitaler-parteitag-der-liberalen-lindner-mit-93-prozent-als-fdp-chef-wiedergewaehlt/27192506.html|title=Lindner re-elected as FDP leader with 93 percent|date=14 May 2021|language=de|website=[[Der Tagesspiegel]]|access-date=15 May 2021|archive-date=15 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515143900/https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/digitaler-parteitag-der-liberalen-lindner-mit-93-prozent-als-fdp-chef-wiedergewaehlt/27192506.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
The Left announced [[Janine Wissler]] and [[Dietmar Bartsch]] as their co-lead candidates on 2 May 2021. Wissler was elected federal party co-leader earlier in the year alongside [[Susanne Hennig-Wellsow]], who chose not to seek the co-lead candidacy. Bartsch had co-chaired The Left's Bundestag group since 2015, and was previously co-lead candidate in the 2017 federal election.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rnd.de/politik/linke-wissler-und-bartsch-werden-spitzenkandidaten-fur-bundestagswahl-WOHNUMYZTZGKBATX37YX5FXH7M.html|title=Left: Wissler and Bartsch become top candidates for federal election|date=2 May 2021|language=de|website=[[RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland]]|access-date=9 May 2021|archive-date=9 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509080647/https://www.rnd.de/politik/linke-wissler-und-bartsch-werden-spitzenkandidaten-fur-bundestagswahl-WOHNUMYZTZGKBATX37YX5FXH7M.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Wissler and Bartsch were formally selected by the party executive on 8–9 May, receiving 87% of the votes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/linkspartei-spitzenduo-101.html|title=Wissler/Bartsch named as top duo|date=10 May 2021|language=de|website=[[Tagesschau (German TV series)|Tagesschau]]|access-date=10 May 2021|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510214331/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/linkspartei-spitzenduo-101.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
Due to their rise in national opinion polling since 2018, the Greens were expected to forgo the traditional dual lead-candidacy in favour of selecting a single chancellor candidate. Party co-leaders [[Annalena Baerbock]] and [[Robert Habeck]] were considered the only plausible candidates.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fr.de/politik/gruene-baerbock-habeck-bundestagswahl-2021-spitzenkandidat-kanzler-deutschland-news-90326625.html|title=Greens: Baerbock or Habeck – what speaks for whom?|date=7 April 2021|publisher=[[Frankfurter Rundschau]]|access-date=12 April 2021|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412022217/https://www.fr.de/politik/gruene-baerbock-habeck-bundestagswahl-2021-spitzenkandidat-kanzler-deutschland-news-90326625.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Baerbock was announced as chancellor candidate on 19 April.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/buendnis-90-die-gruenen-annalena-baerbock-soll-kanzlerkandidatin-werden-a-051558bb-f24a-42da-85f9-bf069de0c3f8|title=Annalena Baerbock is to run as a candidate for chancellor for the Greens|date=19 April 2021|language=de|newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]]|access-date=19 April 2021|archive-date=19 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419090525/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/buendnis-90-die-gruenen-annalena-baerbock-soll-kanzlerkandidatin-werden-a-051558bb-f24a-42da-85f9-bf069de0c3f8|url-status=live}}</ref> Both Baerbock and Habeck were co-lead candidates for the party's election campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gruene.de/artikel/unsere-kanzlerkandidatin-annalena-baerbock|title=Our Chancellor candidate: Annalena Baerbock|date=19 April 2021|website=[[Alliance 90/The Greens]]|quote=Annalena Baerbock und Robert Habeck: Erfolgreiche Doppelspitze und Spitzenduo zur Bundestagswahl|trans-quote=Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck: Successful dual leadership and top duo for the federal election|access-date=12 September 2021|archive-date=17 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017122057/https://www.gruene.de/artikel/unsere-kanzlerkandidatin-annalena-baerbock/|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Competing parties ===
A total of 47 parties and lists were approved to run in the 2021 federal election, including the seven which won seats in the 19th Bundestag. Of these, 40 ran party lists in at least one state, while 7 ran only direct candidates. In addition, 196 [[Independent politicians|independent]] candidates ran in the various direct constituencies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/info/presse/mitteilungen/bundestagswahl-2021/23_21_parteien-wahlteilnahme.html|title=2021 Bundestag Election: 47 parties will run in the election|date=12 August 2021|website=[[Federal Returning Officer]]|access-date=31 August 2021|archive-date=31 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831103222/https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/info/presse/mitteilungen/bundestagswahl-2021/23_21_parteien-wahlteilnahme.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
In the table below, green shading indicates that the party ran a list in the indicated state. The number in each box indicates how many direct candidates the party ran in the indicated state.
{| class=wikitable style="font-size:95%; text-align:center"
! rowspan=2 colspan=2| Party
! colspan=16| State
|-
! style="width:18px"| [[Baden-Württemberg|BW]]
! style="width:18px"| [[Bavaria|BY]]
! style="width:18px"| [[Berlin|BE]]
! style="width:18px"| [[Brandenburg|BB]]
! style="width:18px"| [[Bremen (state)|HB]]
! style="width:18px"| [[Hamburg|HH]]
! style="width:18px"| [[Hesse|HE]]
! style="width:18px"| [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern|MV]]
! style="width:18px"| [[Lower Saxony|NI]]
! style="width:18px"| [[North Rhine-Westphalia|NW]]
! style="width:18px"| [[Rhineland-Palatinate|RP]]
! style="width:18px"| [[Saarland|SL]]
! style="width:18px"| [[Saxony|SN]]
! style="width:18px"| [[Saxony-Anhalt|ST]]
! style="width:18px"| [[Schleswig-Holstein|SH]]
! style="width:18px"| [[Thuringia|TH]]
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| || align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany]] (CDU) || {{yes|38}} || – || {{yes|12}} || {{yes|10}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|22}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|30}} || {{yes|64}} || {{yes|15}} || {{yes|4}} || {{yes|16}} || {{yes|9}} || {{yes|11}} || {{yes|8}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| || align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany]] (SPD) || {{yes|38}} || {{yes|46}} || {{yes|12}} || {{yes|10}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|22}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|30}} || {{yes|64}} || {{yes|15}} || {{yes|4}} || {{yes|16}} || {{yes|9}} || {{yes|11}} || {{yes|8}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}| || align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD) || {{yes|38}} || {{yes|44}} || {{yes|12}} || {{yes|10}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|22}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|27}} || {{yes|63}} || {{yes|15}} || {{yes|4}} || {{yes|16}} || {{yes|9}} || {{yes|11}} || {{yes|8}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}| || align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP) || {{yes|38}} || {{yes|46}} || {{yes|12}} || {{yes|10}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|22}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|30}} || {{yes|64}} || {{yes|15}} || {{yes|4}} || {{yes|16}} || {{yes|9}} || {{yes|11}} || {{yes|8}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| || align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (DIE LINKE) || {{yes|38}} || {{yes|45}} || {{yes|12}} || {{yes|10}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|22}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|30}} || {{yes|64}} || {{yes|14}} || {{yes|4}} || {{yes|16}} || {{yes|9}} || {{yes|11}} || {{yes|8}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}| || align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] (GRÜNE) || {{yes|38}} || {{yes|46}} || {{yes|12}} || {{yes|10}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|22}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|30}} || {{yes|64}} || {{yes|15}} || 4 || {{yes|16}} || {{yes|9}} || {{yes|11}} || {{yes|8}}
|-
| bgcolor="{{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}" | || align="left" | [[Christian Social Union in Bavaria]] (CSU) || – || {{yes|46}} || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Voters}}| || align=left| [[Free Voters]] (FREIE WÄHLER) || {{yes|38}} || {{yes|46}} || {{yes|7}} || {{yes|9}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|5}} || {{yes|21}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|22}} || {{yes|57}} || {{yes|15}} || {{yes|4}} || {{yes|12}} || {{yes|8}} || {{yes|11}} || {{yes|6}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Die PARTEI}}| || align=left| [[Die PARTEI]] || {{yes|33}} || {{yes|31}} || {{yes|12}} || {{yes|9}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|9}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|8}} || {{yes|52}} || {{yes|10}} || {{yes|4}} || {{yes|11}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|7}} || {{yes|7}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Human Environment Animal Protection Party}}| || align=left| [[Human Environment Animal Protection Party]] (Tierschutzpartei) || {{yes|8}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|12}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|3}} || {{yes|9}} || {{yes|3}} || {{yes|3}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|National Democratic Party of Germany}}| || align=left| [[National Democratic Party of Germany]] (NPD) || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|4}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Pirate Party Germany}}| || align=left| [[Pirate Party Germany]] (PIRATEN) || {{yes|3}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|5}} || 1 || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|4}} || {{yes|3}} || {{yes|8}} || {{yes|4}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|3}} || {{yes|–}} || – || {{yes|1}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Ecological Democratic Party}}| || align=left| [[Ecological Democratic Party]] (ÖDP) || {{yes|16}} || {{yes|46}} || {{yes|10}} || {{yes|7}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|5}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|5}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|9}} || {{yes|4}} || {{yes|13}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|4}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|V-Partei3}}| || align=left| [[V-Partei3|V-Partei<sup>3</sup> – Party for Change, Vegetarians and Vegans]] (V-Partei<sup>3</sup>) || 1 || {{yes|11}} || {{yes|–}} || – || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || – || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|–}} || – || {{yes|2}} || – || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|–}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Democracy in Motion}}| || align=left| [[Democracy in Motion]] (DiB) || {{yes|6}} || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || {{yes|–}} || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Bavaria Party}}| || align=left| [[Bavaria Party]] (BP) || – || {{yes|24}} || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance for Human Rights, Animal and Nature Protection}}| || align=left| [[Alliance for Human Rights, Animal and Nature Protection|Animal Protection Alliance]] (Tierschutzallianz) || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || {{yes|2}} || – || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Marxist–Leninist Party of Germany}}| || align=left| [[Marxist–Leninist Party of Germany]] (MLPD) || {{yes|22}} || {{yes|9}} || {{yes|7}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|5}} || {{yes|4}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|31}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|4}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|8}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Partei für Gesundheitsforschung}}| || align=left| [[Partei für Gesundheitsforschung|Party for Health Research]] (Gesundheitsforschung) || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|2}} || – || – || – || {{yes|–}} || – || – || {{yes|–}} || – || – || {{yes|1}} || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|German Communist Party}}| || align=left| [[German Communist Party]] (DKP) || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|4}} || – || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|12}} || 1 || – || {{yes|–}} || – || {{yes|3}} || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Menschliche Welt}}| || align=left| Human World (MENSCHLICHE WELT) || 1 || – || 1 || – || {{yes|–}} || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || {{yes|–}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Grays – For All Generations}}| || align=left| The Greys – For all Generations (Die Grauen) || – || – || {{yes|1}} || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Bürgerrechtsbewegung Solidarität}}| || align=left| [[Bürgerrechtsbewegung Solidarität|Civil Rights Movement Solidarity]] (BüSo) || 2 || 5 || {{yes|–}} || – || – || – || 1 || – || – || – || – || – || 1 || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Party of Humanists}}| || align=left| [[Party of Humanists]] (Die Humanisten) || {{yes|10}} || {{yes|3}} || {{yes|3}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|1}} || – || {{yes|3}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}}
|-
| bgcolor=#004800| || align=left| Garden Party (Gartenpartei) || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || {{yes|1}} || – || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Die Urbane. Eine HipHop Partei}}| || align=left| [[Die Urbane. Eine HipHop Partei|The Urbans. A HipHop Party]] (du.) || – || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|1}} || – || – || {{yes|–}} || – || – || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || – || – || – || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|3}} || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Socialist Equality Party (Germany)}}| || align=left| [[Socialist Equality Party (Germany)|Socialist Equality Party, Fourth International]] (SGP) || – || – || {{yes|–}} || – || – || – || – || – || – || {{yes|–}} || – || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany}}| || align=left| [[Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany]] (dieBasis) || {{yes|36}} || {{yes|46}} || 11 || {{yes|10}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|6}} || {{yes|21}} || {{yes|5}} || {{yes|27}} || {{yes|60}} || {{yes|15}} || {{yes|4}} || {{yes|16}} || {{yes|9}} || {{yes|11}} || {{yes|7}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance C – Christians for Germany}}| || align=left| [[Alliance C – Christians for Germany]] (Bündnis C) || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|2}} || – || – || – || – || {{yes|4}} || – || – || {{yes|2}} || – || – || {{yes|2}} || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Third Way (Germany)}}| || align=left| [[Third Way (Germany)|Third Way]] (III. Weg) || – || {{yes|–}} || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || {{yes|1}} || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor=#44AAE0| || align=left| Citizens' Movement for Progress and Change (BÜRGERBEWEGUNG) || {{yes|3}} || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor=#E71F71| || align=left| The Pinks/Alliance 21 (BÜNDNIS21) || {{yes|–}} || – || 1 || – || – || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|1}} || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor=#DC2F28| || align=left| European Party LOVE (LIEBE) || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || {{yes|1}} || – || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Liberal Conservative Reformers}}| || align=left| [[Liberal Conservative Reformers]] (LKR) || {{yes|3}} || {{yes|7}} || {{yes|10}} || – || – || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|1}} || – || {{yes|8}} || {{yes|7}} || {{yes|3}} || – || 4 || – || {{yes|6}} || 2
|-
| bgcolor=#F5A419| || align=left| Party for Progress (PdF) || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || {{yes|–}} || – || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor=#D1165D| || align=left| Lobbyists for Children (LfK) || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || {{yes|–}} || – || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|South Schleswig Voters' Association}}| || align=left| [[South Schleswig Voters' Association]] (SSW){{efn|The South Schleswig Voters' Association is a recognised minority party representing the [[Danish minority of Southern Schleswig|Danish]] and [[North Frisians|Frisian]] minorities of Southern Schleswig, and is exempt from the 5% [[electoral threshold in Germany]].<ref name="Background information for the 2021 Bundestag Election: parties representing national minorities - The Federal Returning Officer" />}} || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || {{yes|5}} || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Team Todenhöfer}}| || align=left| [[Team Todenhöfer|Team Todenhöfer – The Justice Party]] (Team Todenhöfer) || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || – || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}}
|-
| bgcolor=#FF9900| || align=left| Independents for Citizen-oriented Democracy (UNABHÄNGIGE) || – || {{yes|2}} || – || {{yes|3}} || – || – || 1 || 1 || – || 2 || 2 || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Volt Germany}}| || align=left| [[Volt Germany]] (Volt) || {{yes|13}} || {{yes|12}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|1}} || {{yes|3}} || {{yes|5}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|15}} || {{yes|10}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|–}} || {{yes|2}} || {{yes|–}}
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Volksabstimmung}}| || align=left| {{ill|From now... Democracy by Referendum|de|Ab jetzt ... Demokratie durch Volksabstimmung}} (Volksabstimmung) || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 2 || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Bergpartei, die "ÜberPartei"}}| || align=left| [[Bergpartei, die "ÜberPartei"]] (B*) || – || – || 1 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor=#BABABA| || align=left| The Others (sonstige) || – || – || 1 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Family Party of Germany}}| || align=left| [[Family Party of Germany]] (FAMILIE) || – || – || – || 1 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor=#566467| || align=left| Grey Panthers (Graue Panther) || – || – || – || – || – || – || 1 || 1 || – || 2 || 2 || – || – || – || – || 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Klimaliste}}| || align=left| [[Klimaliste|Climate List Baden-Württemberg]] (KlimalisteBW) || 7 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| bgcolor=#0083C1| || align=left| Thuringian Homeland Party (THP) || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent politician}}| || align=left| ''[[Independent politician|Independents]] and voter groups'' || 15 || 26 || 9 || 18 || – || 2 || 15 || 2 || 21 || 31 || 22 || 1 || 22 || 7 || 2 || 3
|-
! colspan=2| Party
! [[Baden-Württemberg|BW]]
! [[Bavaria|BY]]
! [[Berlin|BE]]
! [[Brandenburg|BB]]
! [[Bremen (state)|HB]]
! [[Hamburg|HH]]
! [[Hesse|HE]]
! [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern|MV]]
! [[Lower Saxony|NI]]
! [[North Rhine-Westphalia|NW]]
! [[Rhineland-Palatinate|RP]]
! [[Saarland|SL]]
! [[Saxony|SN]]
! [[Saxony-Anhalt|ST]]
! [[Schleswig-Holstein|SH]]
! [[Thuringia|TH]]
|-
! colspan=2| Total constituencies
! 38 !! 46 !! 12 !! 10 !! 2 !! 6 !! 22 !! 6 !! 30 !! 64 !! 15 !! 4 !! 16 !! 9 !! 11 !! 8
|}
=== Registration of candidates ===
While a sitting chancellor is usually named chancellor-candidate for his or her own party, the main opposition party's process to determine their chancellor-candidate differs. Most times, such a person is determined in an inner party circle and then anointed in a party convention. As the CDU/CSU is the main government party, CDU chairwoman and incumbent chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] was not challenged as chancellor-candidate. In the SPD, the situation was a bit less clear, as there were four candidates in the discussion. While the party chairman [[Sigmar Gabriel]], the parliamentary caucus leader [[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]], and [[Peer Steinbrück]], former minister-president of Nordrhein-Westfalen and former federal minister of Finance, were quasi-official contenders for the candidacy, incumbent Nordrhein-Westfalen minister-president [[Hannelore Kraft]] denied interest in the candidacy.<ref>[http://www.augsburger-allgemeine.de/politik/Steinbrueck-Steinmeier-oder-doch-Hannelore-Kraft-id20425166.html Steinbrück, Steinmeier - oder doch Hannelore Kraft?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927201828/http://www.augsburger-allgemeine.de/politik/Steinbrueck-Steinmeier-oder-doch-Hannelore-Kraft-id20425166.html |date=27 September 2013 }}. Augsburger Allgemeine. 3 June 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.</ref> Gabriel, Steinmeier, and Steinbrück all had a bad electoral record, as they all had led their party into painful defeats in state or general elections. Gabriel and Steinbrück lost their inherited minister-president offices in 2003 and 2005, and Steinmeier failed as a chancellor-candidate in 2009. On 28 September 2012, the party announced that Steinbrück would be the SPD's chancellor-candidate.<ref>{{cite web|title=Steinbrück wird Kanzlerkandidat|trans-title=Steinbrück to be chancellor-candidate|language=de|date=28 September 2012|access-date=28 September 2012|publisher=[[ARD (broadcaster)|ARD]]|url=http://tagesschau.de/inland/spd930.html|archive-date=30 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930230827/http://www.tagesschau.de/inland/spd930.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
In July 2021, the respective state electoral committees rejected the lists of the AfD in [[Bremen]] and the Greens in [[Saarland]]. The AfD list was rejected for formal reasons, while the Green list in Saarland was declared invalid due to a controversial nomination process, in which one third of the state delegates were excluded from the nomination convention. Both state parties filed motions against the rulings. The federal electoral committee dismissed the motion of the Saarland Greens, while the AfD list in Bremen was permitted to run in the elections. The Green Party will thus not be eligible for the proportional vote in Saarland for the first time in the party's history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/german-greens-sit-out-vote-saarland-federal-election-2021/|title=German Greens must sit out vote in one state during national election|date=5 August 2021|language=en|website=[[Politico]]|access-date=27 August 2021|archive-date=27 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827160247/https://www.politico.eu/article/german-greens-sit-out-vote-saarland-federal-election-2021/|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Campaign ==
== Campaign ==
=== Major issues ===
After taking heat domestically for bailing out other European countries, Finance-Minister [[Wolfgang Schäuble]] took the step of mentioning that Greece would need a third bailout. This was in stark contrast to his colleagues who had refrained from making such measures in light of the election, in particularly following Merkel's dismissal of a potential future bailout. In reaction to the statement and the dithering, [[Peer Steinbrueck]] of the SPD said that it was "time that Mrs. Merkel tells people the truth", while [[Jürgen Trittin]] of the Greens also criticized Merkel.<ref>{{cite web |author=Financial Crisis |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/10255527/Greece-needs-third-bail-out-admits-German-finance-minister.html |title=Greece needs third bail-out, admits German finance minister |work=The Telegraph |date=20 August 2013 |access-date=20 September 2013 |archive-date=23 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054522/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/10255527/Greece-needs-third-bail-out-admits-German-finance-minister.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
The federal election was impacted by incumbent chancellor [[Angela Merkel]]'s decision not to run again,<ref>{{cite news|date=20 April 2021|title=Who are the rivals to lead Germany after Chancellor Merkel?|agency=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56821462|access-date=22 April 2021|archive-date=6 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210606233628/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56821462|url-status=live}}</ref> and candidates to present themselves as the natural successor to Merkel.<ref>{{cite news|date=2 September 2021|title=German candidates fight to woo moderate voters|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/09/25/german-candidates-fight-to-woo-moderate-voters|access-date=27 September 2021|issn=0013-0613|archive-date=26 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926230556/https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/09/25/german-candidates-fight-to-woo-moderate-voters|url-status=live}}</ref>
The [[2021 European floods]] put the climate issue back on the agenda in July. The SPD called for "everything to be done to stop global warming," while the CDU/CSU wanted to "speed up climate protection measures".<ref>{{Cite web|title=En Allemagne, les inondations obligent les politiques à prendre le climat " plus au sérieux "|url=https://reporterre.net/En-Allemagne-les-inondations-obligent-les-politiques-a-prendre-le-climat-plus-au-serieux|access-date=2021-09-18|website=Reporterre, le quotidien de l'écologie|date=16 July 2021 |language=fr|archive-date=16 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816185402/https://reporterre.net/En-Allemagne-les-inondations-obligent-les-politiques-a-prendre-le-climat-plus-au-serieux|url-status=live}}</ref> By the end of July, 56 per cent of Germans believed that the floods made it "even more important than before" to combat climate change, and 73 per cent believed the government was not doing enough in this area; only the AfD's supporters were overwhelmingly of the opposite opinion.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-07-26|title=En Allemagne, la campagne électorale des législatives bouleversée par les inondations|language=fr|work=Le Monde.fr|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2021/07/26/en-allemagne-la-campagne-electorale-des-legislatives-bouleversee-par-les-inondations_6089525_3210.html|access-date=2021-09-18|archive-date=18 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918180548/https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2021/07/26/en-allemagne-la-campagne-electorale-des-legislatives-bouleversee-par-les-inondations_6089525_3210.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Following those events, six people under the age of 30 began a hunger strike in front of the Reichstag building at the end of August. They demanded a sincere dialogue with the leaders of the main political parties before the elections and the establishment of a citizens' convention to decide on ambitious measures for the climate.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-18|title=The German activists starving themselves to make politicians face the climate crisis|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/18/the-german-activists-starving-themselves-to-make-politicians-face-the-climate-crisis|access-date=2021-09-18|website=the Guardian|language=en|archive-date=18 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918112359/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/18/the-german-activists-starving-themselves-to-make-politicians-face-the-climate-crisis|url-status=live}}</ref>
Merkel also became the first chancellor to visit [[Dachau concentration camp]] after an invitation by former inmate [[Max Mannheimer]], who leads a survivor group, saying: "What happened at the concentration camps was and continues to be incomprehensible." Merkel also warning of a rising tide of antisemitism and racism as a threat to democracy in Europe. Her visit was welcomed by residents of the town due to its historic nature but was also suggested as a vote ploy ahead of the election.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/08/20138212732885348.html |title=German chancellor visits former Nazi camp - Europe |publisher=[[Al Jazeera English]] |date=21 August 2013 |access-date=20 September 2013 |archive-date=21 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921065621/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/08/20138212732885348.html |url-status=live }}</ref> She also campaigned on Germany's unemployment record that fell to a two-decade low during her premiership, progress towards a balanced budget, and the [[Eurozone]]'s advantages for Germany's exports. There were questions asked about her legacy and a potential heir to the party leadership.<ref>{{cite news |last=Czuczka |first=Tony |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-19/merkel-seeks-mandate-to-top-thatcher-as-third-term-risks-loom.html |title=Merkel Seeks Mandate to Top Thatcher as Third-Term Risks Loom |newspaper=Bloomberg |date=19 September 2013 |access-date=20 September 2013 |archive-date=21 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921055443/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-19/merkel-seeks-mandate-to-top-thatcher-as-third-term-risks-loom.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Campaigning in the "hot phase"<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2013/09/20139211330063866.html |title=Germany's election campaign draws to a close |first=Sam |last=Bollier |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |date=21 September 2013 |access-date=22 September 2013 |archive-date=25 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925025902/http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2013/09/20139211330063866.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ended on 21 September, as Merkel appealed to voters to support her against [[Eurosceptics]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/09/2013921141238756448.html |title=Germany rivals conclude election campaigns |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |date=21 September 2013 |access-date=22 September 2013 |archive-date=22 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922134058/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/09/2013921141238756448.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
During the deadly [[2021 European floods in Germany|German floods]], while visiting [[Erftstadt]] on 18 July, the CDU/CSU lead candidate [[Armin Laschet]] was caught laughing on camera and making jokes while President [[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]] was speaking. Laschet was heavily criticized, despite his apology saying: "It was stupid and shouldn't have happened and I regret it." Both the CDU/CSU and Laschet's ratings suffered heavily in opinion polls and the SPD took the lead.<ref name="r725">{{cite news |last1=Chambers |first1=Madeline |title=Laughing in flood town was stupid, says Germany's Laschet as gaffe hits ratings |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/laughing-flood-town-was-stupid-says-germanys-laschet-gaffe-hits-ratings-2021-07-25/ |access-date=11 September 2021 |work=Reuters |date=25 July 2021 |archive-date=11 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911153119/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/laughing-flood-town-was-stupid-says-germanys-laschet-gaffe-hits-ratings-2021-07-25/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="r911">{{cite news |last1=Carrel |first1=Paul |last2=Rinke |first2=Andreas |title=German SPD extends lead over Merkel's sliding conservatives |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-spd-extends-lead-over-merkels-sliding-conservatives-2021-09-02/ |access-date=11 September 2021 |work=Reuters |archive-date=11 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911151742/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-spd-extends-lead-over-merkels-sliding-conservatives-2021-09-02/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Televised debates ===
A 90-minute televised debate between the lead candidates of the CDU/CSU and the SPD, the two leading contenders, was held on 1 September.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/09/20139182555766505.html |title=Merkel to face rival in German TV debate - Europe |publisher=Al Jazeera English |access-date=20 September 2013 |archive-date=21 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921065625/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/09/20139182555766505.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The smaller-party top-ranking candidates [[Rainer Brüderle]] (FDP), [[Jürgen Trittin]] (Alliance 90/The Greens), and [[Gregor Gysi]] (The Left) held a separate debate on 2 September.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rösler bleibt FDP-Chef - Brüderle als Spitzenkandidat |url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/roesler-bleibt-fdp-chef-bruederle-als-spitzenkandidat-a-878784.html |access-date=21 January 2013 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065233/http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/roesler-bleibt-fdp-chef-bruederle-als-spitzenkandidat-a-878784.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Red–red–green coalition ===
== Opinion polling ==
During the campaign, Scholz rejected tax cuts for the rich as immoral,<ref>{{cite news|url=|title=Election campaign with tax plans: Scholz calls relief for the rich 'immoral'|website=News in 24 english|date=15 August 2021|access-date=1 October 2021|archive-date=1 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001033934|url-status=live}}</ref> pledged to "increase taxes on the wealthy, spend on cleaner technology and expand social programs",<ref>{{cite news|last=Jenen|first=Birgit|date=5 September 2021|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-09/scholz-pitches-taxing-the-rich-to-revive-bid-to-succeed-merkel|title=Scholz Pitches Taxing the Rich to Revive Bid to Succeed Merkel|agency=Bloomberg News|access-date=1 October 2021|archive-date=1 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001033936/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-09/scholz-pitches-taxing-the-rich-to-revive-bid-to-succeed-merkel|url-status=live}}</ref> and a [[minimum wage]] increase to 12 euros.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Buergin|first=Rainer|date=19 September 2021|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-19/germany-s-scholz-lays-down-rules-for-any-future-coalition-ally|title=Germany's Scholz Lays Down Rules for Future Coalition Allies|agency=Bloomberg News|access-date=1 October 2021|archive-date=1 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001033933/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-19/germany-s-scholz-lays-down-rules-for-any-future-coalition-ally|url-status=live}}</ref> In general, there was broad agreement among left-leaning parties on issues such as climate change, education, finance, health, and higher taxes for the rich, and The Left being more [[pro-European]] than similar left-wing parties like [[La France Insoumise]],<ref name="Oltermann 2021">{{cite news|last=Oltermann|first=Philip|date=24 September 2021|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/24/german-progressives-dare-to-dream-of-leftist-red-green-red-coalition|title=German progressives dare to dream of leftist 'red-green-red' coalition|work=The Guardian|access-date=27 September 2021|archive-date=27 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927030006/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/24/german-progressives-dare-to-dream-of-leftist-red-green-red-coalition|url-status=live}}</ref> while issues of disagreement were foreign policy and security.<ref name="R2G">{{cite news|url=https://www.dw.com/en/german-election-could-there-soon-be-a-left-wing-government/a-59073355|title=German election: Could there soon be a left-wing government?|agency=Deutsche Welle|date=24 September 2021|access-date=27 September 2021|archive-date=26 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926165408/https://www.dw.com/en/german-election-could-there-soon-be-a-left-wing-government/a-59073355|url-status=live}}</ref> Writing for ''[[The Guardian]]'', [[Philip Oltermann]] commented: "Paradoxically, some Social Democrats see such commonalities as an obstacle rather than a boon for an effective power-sharing deal: since all three parties already call for a wealth tax, for example, it's unclear what policy Die Linke could sell its supporters as a win even if were to get its hands on the coveted labour ministry."<ref name="Oltermann 2021"/> Both the SPD and the Greens did not speak much on the subject but did not rule it out in public, although in private they were more sceptics. One SPD delegate was quoted as saying: "To prepare the ground for a robust and functioning coalition, you need to make sure that no one walks out of talks looking like a loser. That's difficult enough with two, but it becomes even more difficult when you have three partners."<ref name="Oltermann 2021"/> Oltermann posited that The Left could see entering federal government as "a final chance to reverse the party's decline, even if it means moving some of its red lines of old."<ref name="Oltermann 2021"/>
{{main|Opinion polling for the 2013 German federal election}}
[[File:Election opinion polls german 2009-2013.png|thumb|center|700px|15-point average trend line of poll results from 2 October 2009 to 22 September 2013, with each line corresponding to a political party.
{{columns-list|colwidth=18em|
{{Legend-line|{{party color|CDU/CSU}} solid 5px|[[CDU/CSU]]}}
{{Legend-line|{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}} solid 5px|[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]}}
{{Legend-line|{{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}} solid 5px|[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]}}
{{Legend-line|{{party color|The Left (Germany)}} solid 5px|[[The Left (Germany)|LINKE]]}}
{{Legend-line|{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}} solid 5px|[[Alliance 90/The Greens|GRÜNE]]}}
{{Legend-line|{{party color|Pirate Party Germany}} solid 5px|[[Pirate Party Germany|PIRATEN]]}}
{{Legend-line|{{party color|Alternative for Germany}} solid 5px|[[Alternative for Germany|AfD]]}}
}}]]
In Germany, there are regular opinion polls during the whole of the legislative period. Germany's major polling agencies are [[Allensbach Institute|Allensbach]], Emnid, [[Forsa Institute|Forsa]], Forschungsgruppe Wahlen, GMS, Infratest dimap, and INSA/[[YouGov]]. August 2013 opinion polls suggested that the CDU/CSU and the FDP (black–yellow coalition) would be just short of or just above an absolute majority, rather than the SPD and Greens (red–green coalition), partners in [[Gerhard Schröder]]-led government (1998–2005).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pollytix.eu/pollytix-german-election-trend |title=Average of polling chart by pollytix |publisher=Pollytix.eu |access-date=20 September 2013 |archive-date=21 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054205/http://pollytix.eu/pollytix-german-election-trend |url-status=live }}</ref>
In its election manifesto, The Left called for abolishing [[NATO]] in favour of a "collective security system with Russia's involvement", to which Scholz said that this is an example of minimum criteria to govern which is not negotiable.<ref name="Süddeutsche Zeitung">{{Cite news|url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/bundestagswahl-2021-wagenknecht-1.5395829|title=Bundestagswahl: Grüne fordern Tempo 130 auf Autobahnen|work=Süddeutsche Zeitung|language=de|access-date=1 October 2021|archive-date=22 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210922034549/https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/bundestagswahl-2021-wagenknecht-1.5395829|url-status=live}}</ref> The Left's lead candidates stated that those demands are a tribute to the party's historic [[anti-imperialist]] roots rather than reflecting ambitions to govern at the federal level and a discussion on the future of NATO is also being led by centrists such as France's [[Emmanuel Macron]].<ref name="Oltermann 2021"/> The party struck the anti-NATO demand from its immediate policy measures and [[Janine Wissler]] responded that foreign policy was more than NATO.<ref name="The Economist">{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/09/18/what-to-make-of-die-linke|title=What to make of Die Linke|newspaper=The Economist|date=18 September 2021|issn=0013-0613|access-date=1 October 2021|archive-date=30 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930205417/https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/09/18/what-to-make-of-die-linke|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Gregor Gysi]], a member of the left wing of the party, stated that such demands are more of a vision, are not to be implemented as soon as possible, and should not be seen as inflexible preconditions for a left-wing coalition.<ref name="Politico">{{cite news|last=Nöstlinger|first=Nette|date=20 September 2021|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-election-2021-left-party-prepared-to-join-government-under-olaf-scholz-die-linke-gregor-gysi/|title=Germany's Marxist firebrand plots for the Left's moment|website=Politico|access-date=1 October 2021|archive-date=1 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001033933/https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-election-2021-left-party-prepared-to-join-government-under-olaf-scholz-die-linke-gregor-gysi/|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Results ==
{{for|results by state and constituency|Results of the 2013 German federal election}}
[[File:Bundestag-2013.png|thumb|right|Parliamentary districts won by<br/>
<span style="color:#000000;">■</span> – CDU
<span style="color:#00008B;">■</span> – CSU
<span style="color:#FF0000;">■</span> – SPD
<span style="color:#C71585;">■</span> – The Left
<span style="color:#32CD32;">■</span> – Greens]]
[[File:2013 German federal election - Results by state.svg|thumb|Results of the second vote by state]]
As significant issues remain, attempts among willing delegates from both parties have been made over the years on how such issues could be solved in a coalition; the solution of an internal vote preceding foreign policies votes, such as foreign deployments, on a case-by-case analysis was deemed to be unworkable by many in the SPD. The Greens see foreign policy differences with The Left as big as financial and debt disagreements with the FDP.<ref name="Oltermann 2021"/> The Left joining the federal government would have broken a taboo due to being a democratic successor of East Germany's ruling party, and for its pacifist and anti-militarist stance,<ref name="Oltermann 2021"/> and could be seen as following examples in Spain and Sweden.<ref name="Ottens 2021">{{cite web|last=Ottens|first=Nick|date=3 September 2021|url=https://euobserver.com/opinion/152799|title=Scholz would be foolish to rule out a left-wing coalition|website=EUobserver|access-date=1 October 2021|archive-date=1 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001033935/https://euobserver.com/opinion/152799|url-status=live}}</ref> A [[traffic light coalition]] (SPD–FDP–Greens) was seen as the more likely scenario but a R2G coalition, which would be favoured by the left-wing leadership<ref name="Politico"/> and rank-and-file party members,<ref name="The Economist"/> was not excluded if coalition talks with FDP fail due minimum wage increase or the wealth tax.<ref name="Oltermann 2021"/>
Only four parties were present in the Bundestag for the first time since the [[1987 West German federal election]], as the [[CDU/CSU]] operates as one Bundestag group. The [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany]] (CDU) and the [[Christian Social Union of Bavaria]] (CSU) scored 42 percent of the vote, their best result since tallying 44% in [[1990 German federal election|1990]]. Since 15.7 percent of the vote went to parties that fell short of the 5% [[electoral threshold]], the CDU/CSU came up just five seats short of a majority. The [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP), junior partner in the outgoing [[coalition government]], failed to pass the 5% threshold. It also failed to win any directly elected seats, as it has not won any directly elected seats since 1990, shutting it out of the Bundestag altogether for the first time in the party's history. A new Eurosceptic party, [[Alternative for Germany]], nearly won seats but was shut out by narrowly missing the 5% [[electoral threshold]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://newsok.com/merkel-triumphs-in-german-vote-but-allies-crushed/article/feed/594439 |title=Merkel triumphs in German vote but allies crushed |publisher=News OK |date=18 September 2013 |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-date=28 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928095747/http://newsok.com/merkel-triumphs-in-german-vote-but-allies-crushed/article/feed/594439 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wittrock |first=Philipp |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/conservatives-react-to-success-of-merkel-in-german-election-a-923824.html |title=Conservatives React to Success of Merkel in German Election |newspaper=Der Spiegel |date=23 September 2013 |publisher=Spiegel Online |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-date=25 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925022119/http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/conservatives-react-to-success-of-merkel-in-german-election-a-923824.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Debates ===
; Armin Laschet vs. Annalena Baerbock vs. Olaf Scholz
For the first time since [[2002 German federal election|2002]], the four major television broadcasters [[ARD (broadcaster)|ARD]], [[ZDF]], [[RTL (German TV channel)|RTL]], and [[ProSieben]]/[[Sat.1]] did not hold a joint television debate. Separate debates were previously prevented by incumbent chancellor Merkel, who did not run for reelection. For the first time in history, three-way major debates were held, as the Greens were invited after overtaking the SPD in opinion polls.<ref name="Niemier"/>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-justify: none"
! colspan="9" style="background:#B0C4DE" |2021 German federal election debates
|- style="font-size:small;"
! rowspan="3" |Date
! rowspan="3" |Broadcasters
! colspan="7" scope="col" |<!--
-->{{Colors|black|#90ff90| P }} {{small|Present }}<!--
-->{{Colors|black|#D0F0C0| S }} {{small|Surrogate }}<!--
-->{{Colors|black|#5FC| I }} {{small|Invited }}<!--
-->{{Colors|black|#A2B2C2| NI }} {{small|Not invited }}<!--
{{Colors|black|#ff9090| A }} {{small|Absent }}
{{Colors|black|#FFD| N }} {{small|No debate }}-->
|- style="font-size:small;"
! scope="col" |[[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]]
! scope="col" |[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]
! scope="col" |[[Alliance 90/The Greens|Grüne]]
! scope="col" |[[Alternative for Germany|AfD]]
! scope="col" |[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]
! scope="col" |[[The Left (Germany)|Linke]]
! scope="col" |[[Christian Social Union in Bavaria|CSU]]
|-
! style="width:6.5em; background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}};" |
! style="width:6.5em; background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}};" |
! style="width:6.5em; background:{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}};" |
! style="width:6.5em; background:{{party color|Alternative for Germany}};" |
! style="width:6.5em; background:{{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}};" |
! style="width:6.5em; background:{{party color|The Left (Germany)}};" |
! style="width:6.5em; background:{{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}};" |
|-
| 17 May 2021<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-05-17|title=Wer schafft's ins Kanzleramt?|url=https://www.rbb-online.de/fernsehen/beitrag/wer-schaffts-ins-kanzleramt-polittalk-mit-annalena-baerbock-und-olaf-scholz.html|access-date=2021-05-24|website=[[RBB Fernsehen]]|language=de|archive-date=22 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522154053/https://www.rbb-online.de/fernsehen/beitrag/wer-schaffts-ins-kanzleramt-polittalk-mit-annalena-baerbock-und-olaf-scholz.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|[[RBB Fernsehen]]
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Olaf Scholz|Scholz]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Annalena Baerbock|Baerbock]]}}
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
|-
| 20 May 2021<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-05-20|title=Das erste TV-Triell der Kanzlerkandidaten|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/bundestagswahl-kanzlerkandidatur-triell-101.html|access-date=2021-05-20|website=[[Tagesschau (German TV series)|tagesschau]]|language=de|archive-date=20 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520121353/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/bundestagswahl-kanzlerkandidatur-triell-101.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|[[Westdeutscher Rundfunk|WDR]], [[tagesschau24]]
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Armin Laschet|Laschet]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Olaf Scholz|Scholz]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Annalena Baerbock|Baerbock]]}}
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
|-
| 26 June 2021<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-06-26|title=Kanzlerkandidaten zur Außenpolitik: Zwischen Dialog und Härte|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/aussenpolitik-kanzlerkandiaten-muenchner-sicherheitskonferenz-fragerunde-101.html|access-date=2021-06-27|website=[[Tagesschau (German TV series)|tagesschau]]|language=de|archive-date=27 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627113658/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/aussenpolitik-kanzlerkandiaten-muenchner-sicherheitskonferenz-fragerunde-101.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|tagesschau24
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Armin Laschet|Laschet]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Olaf Scholz|Scholz]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Annalena Baerbock|Baerbock]]}}
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
|-
| 29 August 2021<ref>{{Cite web|last=Niemeier|first=Timo|date=2021-05-19|title=RTL kommt Öffentlich-Rechtlichen mit Wahl-Triell zuvor|url=https://www.dwdl.de/nachrichten/82823/rtl_kommt_oeffentlichrechtlichen_mit_dem_triell_zuvor/|access-date=2021-05-19|website=DWDL.de|language=de|archive-date=19 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519145526/https://www.dwdl.de/nachrichten/82823/rtl_kommt_oeffentlichrechtlichen_mit_dem_triell_zuvor/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|[[RTL (German TV channel)|RTL]], [[n-tv]]
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Armin Laschet|Laschet]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Olaf Scholz|Scholz]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Annalena Baerbock|Baerbock]]}}
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
|-
| 30 August 2021<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-30|title=Wie geht's, Deutschland?|url=https://www.zdf.de/politik/wahlen/wahl-2021-wie-gehts-deutschland-100.html|access-date=2021-09-05|website=zdf.de|language=de|archive-date=5 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210905161855/https://www.zdf.de/politik/wahlen/wahl-2021-wie-gehts-deutschland-100.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
| ZDF
| style="background:#D0F0C0; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''S'''<br>{{small|[[Jens Spahn|Spahn]]}}
| style="background:#D0F0C0; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''S'''<br>{{small|[[Franziska Giffey|Giffey]]}}
| style="background:#D0F0C0; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''S'''<br>{{small|[[Katrin Göring-Eckardt|Göring-Eckardt]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Alice Weidel|Weidel]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Christian Lindner|Lindner]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Dietmar Bartsch|Bartsch]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Alexander Dobrindt|Dobrindt]]}}
|-
| 12 September 2021<ref name="Niemier">{{Cite web|last=Niemeier|first=Timo|date=2021-05-19|title=Nach RTL planen auch ARD und ZDF ein Triell zur Wahl|url=https://www.dwdl.de/nachrichten/82748/nach_rtl_planen_auch_ard_und_zdf_ein_triell_zur_wahl/|access-date=2021-05-12|website=DWDL.de|language=de|archive-date=19 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519145526/https://www.dwdl.de/nachrichten/82748/nach_rtl_planen_auch_ard_und_zdf_ein_triell_zur_wahl/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|[[Das Erste]], [[ZDF]]
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Armin Laschet|Laschet]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Olaf Scholz|Scholz]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Annalena Baerbock|Baerbock]]}}
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
|-
| 13 September 2021<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-13|title=Schlagabtausch - der Vierkampf von AfD, FDP, DIE LINKE und CSU|url=https://www.zdf.de/schlagabtausch2021-100.html|access-date=2021-09-18|website=zdf.de|language=de|archive-date=18 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918110925/https://www.zdf.de/schlagabtausch2021-100.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|ZDF
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Alice Weidel|Weidel]]}}
| style="background:#D0F0C0; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''S'''<br>{{small|[[Wolfgang Kubicki|Kubicki]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Janine Wissler|Wissler]]}}
| style="background:#D0F0C0; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''S'''<br>{{small|[[Markus Blume|Blume]]}}
|-
|13 September<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2021-05-19|title=Bundestagswahl 2021 in der ARD: 1500 Minuten Sondersendungen mit Talk, Triell, Townhall, Elefanten-Runde und Dokumentationen im Ersten|url=https://www.presseportal.de/pm/6694/4926639|access-date=2021-06-01|website=presseportal.de|language=de|archive-date=1 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601052936/https://www.presseportal.de/pm/6694/4926639|url-status=live}}</ref>
|Das Erste
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Alice Weidel|Weidel]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Christian Lindner|Lindner]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Janine Wissler|Wissler]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Alexander Dobrindt|Dobrindt]]}}
|-
| 19 September 2021<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-19|title=ProSieben, Sat.1 Und Kabel eins bitten die Kanzlerkandidat:innen am Sonntag vor der Wahl zum finalen TV-Triell|url=https://www.prosieben.ch/tv/bundestagswahl/news/tv-triell-baerbock-scholz-laschet-prosieben-106508|access-date=2021-08-23|website=prosieben.ch|language=de|archive-date=23 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823090359/https://www.prosieben.ch/tv/bundestagswahl/news/tv-triell-baerbock-scholz-laschet-prosieben-106508|url-status=live}}</ref>
|[[ProSieben]], [[Sat.1]], [[Kabel eins]]
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Armin Laschet|Laschet]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Olaf Scholz|Scholz]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Annalena Baerbock|Baerbock]]}}
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
| style="background:#A2B2C2; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''NI'''
|-
| 23 September 2021<ref name="Niemier"/>
|Das Erste, ZDF
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Armin Laschet|Laschet]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Olaf Scholz|Scholz]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Annalena Baerbock|Baerbock]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Alice Weidel|Weidel]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Christian Lindner|Lindner]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Janine Wissler|Wissler]]}}
| style="background:#90ff90; color:black; text-align:center;" |'''P'''<br>{{small|[[Markus Söder|Söder]]}}
|}
== Members of Parliament standing down ==
=== AfD ===
* [[Axel Gehrke]]<ref>[ (AfD mourns politicians: Bundestag member Gehrke dies after illness)]{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, 23 September 2021</ref>
* [[Wilhelm von Gottberg]]<ref name="Abschied vom Bundestag">{{cite web|title=Abschied vom Bundestag|periodical=Sueddeutsche.de|publisher=|url=https://projekte.sueddeutsche.de/artikel/politik/abschied-vom-bundestag-e839209/|date=2021-06-27|language=|pages=|quote=|archive-date=26 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626220103/https://projekte.sueddeutsche.de/artikel/politik/abschied-vom-bundestag-e839209/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Heiko Heßenkemper]]<ref>[https://www.saechsische.de/doebeln/muldaerin-will-fuer-afd-in-den-bundestag-mittelsachsen-wahl-5298823.html Saechsische.de: Muldaerin will für AfD in den Bundestag (German)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610201655/https://www.saechsische.de/doebeln/muldaerin-will-fuer-afd-in-den-bundestag-mittelsachsen-wahl-5298823.html |date=10 June 2021 }}, October 2020</ref>
* [[Lothar Maier]]<ref>{{citation|surname1=Manfred Schäfers|editor-surname1= [[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]]|title=Mit einem lachenden und weinenden Auge|at=p. 19|date=2021-06-21|language=German
}}</ref>
* [[Roman Reusch]]<ref name="Abschied vom Bundestag"/>
* [[Heiko Wildberg]]<ref>{{cite web|title=AfD-Rhinland-Pfalz wählt zehn Kandidaten für die Landesliste zur Bundestagwahl|periodical=Pfalz-exptress.de|publisher=|url=https://www.pfalz-express.de/afd-rheinland-pfalz-waehlt-zehn-kandidaten-fuer-die-landesliste-zur-bundestagswahl/|date=2020-11-24|language=|pages=|quote=|archive-date=28 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628083212/https://www.pfalz-express.de/afd-rheinland-pfalz-waehlt-zehn-kandidaten-fuer-die-landesliste-zur-bundestagswahl/|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== CDU/CSU ===
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Norbert Barthle]]<ref>[https://www.schwaebische.de/landkreis/ostalbkreis/schwaebisch-gmuend_artikel,-norbert-barthle-kandidiert-nicht-mehr-_arid,11229608.html Schwäbisch Gmünd: Norbert Barthle kandidiert nicht mehr] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604070058/https://www.schwaebische.de/landkreis/ostalbkreis/schwaebisch-gmuend_artikel,-norbert-barthle-kandidiert-nicht-mehr-_arid,11229608.html |date=4 June 2020 }} ''[[Schwäbische Zeitung]]'', 6 May 2020.</ref>
* [[Manfred Behrens]]<ref name="Michael Bock">{{cite web|title=Kees de Vries verliert bei Nominierung|periodical=Volksstimme.de|publisher=[[Volksstimme (Saxony-Anhalt)|Volksstimme Magdeburg]]|url=https://www.volksstimme.de/sachsen-anhalt/sachsen-anhalt-cdu-kees-de-vries-verliert-bei-nominierung|author=Michael Bock|date=2020-09-29|language=de|pages=|quote=|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031172046/https://www.volksstimme.de/sachsen-anhalt/sachsen-anhalt-cdu-kees-de-vries-verliert-bei-nominierung|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Sybille Benning]]<ref>[https://www.muensterschezeitung.de/Lokales/Staedte/Muenster/4283856-Erklaerung-der-CDU-Bundestagsabgeordneten-Sybille-Benning-tritt-nicht-mehr-an Erklärung der CDU-Bundestagsabgeordneten: Sybille Benning tritt nicht mehr an] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029210817/https://www.muensterschezeitung.de/Lokales/Staedte/Muenster/4283856-Erklaerung-der-CDU-Bundestagsabgeordneten-Sybille-Benning-tritt-nicht-mehr-an |date=29 October 2020 }} ''Münstersche Zeitung'', 28 September 2020.</ref>
* [[Peter Bleser]]<ref>Daniel Rühle (29 September 2019), [https://www.rhein-zeitung.de/region/aus-den-lokalredaktionen/kreis-cochem-zell_artikel,-cochemzeller-christdemokraten-haben-gewaehlt-anke-beilstein-ist-alte-und-neue-cdukreisvorsitzende-_arid,2032496.html Cochem-Zeller Christdemokraten haben gewählt: Anke Beilstein ist alte und neue CDU-Kreisvorsitzende] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614084813/https://www.rhein-zeitung.de/region/aus-den-lokalredaktionen/kreis-cochem-zell_artikel,-cochemzeller-christdemokraten-haben-gewaehlt-anke-beilstein-ist-alte-und-neue-cdukreisvorsitzende-_arid,2032496.html |date=14 June 2020 }} ''Rhein-Zeitung'', 10 July 2019.</ref>
* [[Norbert Brackmann]]<ref>[https://www.ln-online.de/Lokales/Lauenburg/Norbert-Brackmann-kandidiert-nicht-mehr-fuer-den-Bundestag Norbert Brackmann kandidiert nicht mehr für den Bundestag] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115055255/https://www.ln-online.de/Lokales/Lauenburg/Norbert-Brackmann-kandidiert-nicht-mehr-fuer-den-Bundestag |date=15 November 2020 }} ''[[Lübecker Nachrichten]]'', 29 May 2020.</ref>
* [[Axel Fischer]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://bnn.de/nachrichten/politik/axel-e-fischer-zieht-nach-23-jahren-bundestag-bilanz-ich-gehe-mit-einem-lachenden-und-einem-weinenden-auge |title=Badische Nachrichten: Bundestagsabgeordneter Axel E. Fischer: "Es gab gigantische Machtverschiebung vom Parlament zur Regierung" |date=2 August 2021 |access-date=13 October 2021 |archive-date=27 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027060355/https://bnn.de/nachrichten/politik/axel-e-fischer-zieht-nach-23-jahren-bundestag-bilanz-ich-gehe-mit-einem-lachenden-und-einem-weinenden-auge |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Maria Flachsbarth]]<ref>Daniel Puskepeleitis (12 May 2020), [https://www.bild.de/regional/hannover/hannover-aktuell/nach-18-jahren-flachsbarth-kuendigt-rueckzug-aus-dem-bundestag-an-70592444.bild.html Nach 18 Jahren: Flachsbarth kündigt Rückzug aus dem Bundestag an] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828183555/https://www.bild.de/regional/hannover/hannover-aktuell/nach-18-jahren-flachsbarth-kuendigt-rueckzug-aus-dem-bundestag-an-70592444.bild.html |date=28 August 2020 }} ''[[BILD]]''.</ref>
* [[Hans-Joachim Fuchtel]]<ref>Roland Weisenburger (12 May 2020), [https://bnn.de/nachrichten/politik/hans-joachim-fuchtel-tritt-nicht-mehr-an-merkels-schweizer-taschenmesser-verlaesst-den-bundestag Hans-Joachim Fuchtel tritt nicht mehr an: Merkels Schweizer Taschenmesser verlässt den Bundestag] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614104557/https://bnn.de/nachrichten/politik/hans-joachim-fuchtel-tritt-nicht-mehr-an-merkels-schweizer-taschenmesser-verlaesst-den-bundestag |date=14 June 2020 }} ''[[Badische Neueste Nachrichten]]''.</ref>
* [[Alois Gerig]]<ref>[https://www.nokzeit.de/2020/07/10/gerig-verabschiedet-sich-aus-bundespolitik/ Nokzeit.de: Gerig verabschiedet sich aus Bundespolitik] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923011049/https://www.nokzeit.de/2020/07/10/gerig-verabschiedet-sich-aus-bundespolitik/ |date=23 September 2021 }} (German)</ref>
* [[Eberhard Gienger]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-02-07|title=Eberhard Gienger tritt nicht wieder an|url=https://www.marbacher-zeitung.de/inhalt.bei-der-bundestagswahl-2021-eberhard-gienger-tritt-nicht-wieder-an.6e485092-a7e5-4416-944d-c546bfebe4eb.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200208144354/https://www.marbacher-zeitung.de/inhalt.bei-der-bundestagswahl-2021-eberhard-gienger-tritt-nicht-wieder-an.6e485092-a7e5-4416-944d-c546bfebe4eb.html|archive-date=8 February 2020|access-date=|website=Marbacher Zeitung|language=de}}</ref>
* [[Astrid Grotelüschen]]<ref>Michael Korn (10 April 2020), [https://www.noz.de/lokales-dk/ganderkesee/artikel/2034249/astrid-grotelueschen-will-nicht-wieder-fuer-bundestag-kandidieren Astrid Grotelüschen will nicht wieder für Bundestag kandidieren] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418094901/https://www.noz.de/lokales-dk/ganderkesee/artikel/2034249/astrid-grotelueschen-will-nicht-wieder-fuer-bundestag-kandidieren |date=18 April 2020 }} ''[[Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung]]''.</ref>
* [[Mark Hauptmann]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spiegel.de/consent-a-?targetUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiegel.de%2Fpolitik%2Fdeutschland%2Fcdu-maskenaffaere-abgeordneter-hauptmann-legt-bundestagsmandat-nieder-a-8a9e43f1-288f-40c7-9ed3-35bf8bb91785&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2F|title=Spiegel.de: CDU-Maskenaffäre, Abgeordneter Hauptmann legt Bundestagsmandat nieder (german)}}{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* [[Matthias Heider]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lokalplus.nrw/nachrichten/politik-kreisolpe/cdu-mdb-matthias-heider-tritt-bei-bundestagswahl-2021-nicht-mehr-an-44874|title=CDU-MdB Matthias Heider tritt bei Bundestagswahl 2021 nicht mehr an – Künftig wieder Arbeit als Anwalt|website=LokalPlus Nachrichten|access-date=2 October 2021|archive-date=10 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010042009/https://www.lokalplus.nrw/nachrichten/politik-kreisolpe/cdu-mdb-matthias-heider-tritt-bei-bundestagswahl-2021-nicht-mehr-an-44874?utm_campaign=LokalPlus&utm_medium=Shared%20URL&utm_source=SocialMedia|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Heribert Hirte]]<ref>Andreas Damm (8 May 2021), [https://www.ksta.de/koeln/cdu-waehlt-kandidaten-schlappe-fuer-koelner-bundespolitiker-heribert-hirte-38369474?cb=1620492286206 CDU wählt Kandidaten: Schlappe für Kölner Bundespolitiker Heribert Hirte] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130172540/https://www.ksta.de/html/dumont-consent/index.html?param=eyJyZWRpcmVjdFVybCI6Ii9rb2Vsbi9jZHUtd2FlaGx0LWthbmRpZGF0ZW4tc2NobGFwcGUtZnVlci1rb2VsbmVyLWJ1bmRlc3BvbGl0aWtlci1oZXJpYmVydC1oaXJ0ZS0zODM2OTQ3ND9jYj0xNjM4MjkzMTQwNjQ0JmNiPTE2MjA0OTIyODYyMDYiLCJyZWZlcnJlciI6IiIsInN1YmRvbWFpbiI6Ind3dyJ9 |date=30 November 2021 }} ''[[Kölner Stadtanzeiger]]''.</ref>
* [[Karl Holmeier]]<ref>[https://www.mittelbayerische.de/region/cham-nachrichten/karl-holmeier-tritt-2021-nicht-mehr-an-20909-art1912711.html Karl Holmeier tritt 2021 nicht mehr an] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022110813/https://www.mittelbayerische.de/region/cham-nachrichten/karl-holmeier-tritt-2021-nicht-mehr-an-20909-art1912711.html |date=22 October 2020 }} ''[[Mittelbayerische Zeitung]]'', 4 June 2020.</ref>
* [[Alois Karl]]<ref>Eva Gaupp (24 July 2020), [https://www.mittelbayerische.de/region/neumarkt-nachrichten/alois-karl-nach-43-jahren-ist-schluss-21102-art1925337.html Alois Karl: Nach 43 Jahren ist Schluss] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806075523/https://www.mittelbayerische.de/region/neumarkt-nachrichten/alois-karl-nach-43-jahren-ist-schluss-21102-art1925337.html |date=6 August 2020 }} ''[[Mittelbayerische Zeitung]]''.</ref>
* [[Volker Kauder]], former CDU/CSU parliamentary leader<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-09-21|title=Kauder kandidiert 2021 nicht wieder|url=https://www.badische-zeitung.de/kauder-kandidiert-2021-nicht-wieder|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117182545/https://www.badische-zeitung.de/kauder-kandidiert-2021-nicht-wieder|archive-date=17 November 2019|access-date=|website=Badische Zeitung|language=de}}</ref>
* [[Andreas Lämmel]]<ref name="Gunnar Saft, Thilo Alexe">{{cite web|title=So geht sächsisch im Bundestag bald nicht mehr|periodical=Saechsische.de|publisher=[[Sächsische Zeitung]]|url=https://www.saechsische.de/politik/deutschland/so-geht-saechsisch-im-bundestag-bald-nicht-mehr-5272965-plus.html|access-date=|author1=Gunnar Saft |author2=Thilo Alexe|date=2020-09-14|language=de|pages=|quote=|archive-date=22 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422230723/https://www.saechsische.de/politik/deutschland/so-geht-saechsisch-im-bundestag-bald-nicht-mehr-5272965-plus.html|url-status=live}} ([[paywall]])</ref>
* [[Karl A. Lamers]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Serif|first=Walter|date=2020-03-07|title=Karl A. Lamers tritt 2021 nicht mehr an|url=https://www.morgenweb.de/mannheimer-morgen_artikel,-politik-karl-a-lamers-tritt-2021-nicht-mehr-an-_arid,1613341.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307162219/https://www.morgenweb.de/mannheimer-morgen_artikel,-politik-karl-a-lamers-tritt-2021-nicht-mehr-an-_arid,1613341.html|archive-date=7 March 2020|access-date=2020-11-23|website=Mannheimer Morgen|language=de}}</ref>
* [[Katharina Landgraf]]<ref>[https://www.lvz.de/Region/Borna/CDU-Abgeordnete-Katharina-Landgraf-kandidiert-nicht-wieder-fuer-den-Bundestag CDU-Abgeordnete Katharina Landgraf kandidiert nicht wieder für den Bundestag] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223201744/https://www.lvz.de/Region/Borna/CDU-Abgeordnete-Katharina-Landgraf-kandidiert-nicht-wieder-fuer-den-Bundestag |date=23 December 2020 }} ''Leipziger Volkzeitung'', 11 June 2020.</ref>
* [[Nikolas Löbel]]<ref>[https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/corona-maskendeal-ruecktritt-100.html Abgeordnete Nüßlein und Löbel – Maskenskandal setzt Union zu]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310204153/https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/corona-maskendeal-ruecktritt-100.html |date=10 March 2021 }} Zdf.de: Corona Masken-Skandal.</ref>
* [[Thomas de Maizière]], former [[Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community|Minister of the Interior]]<ref>Markus Langner (12 May 2020), [https://www.bild.de/regional/dresden/dresden-aktuell/sachsens-cdu-groesse-de-maiziere-macht-schluss-mit-bundestag-70589826.bild.html Ex-Bundesinnenminister De Maizière macht Schluss mit Bundestag ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130022801/https://www.bild.de/regional/dresden/dresden-aktuell/sachsens-cdu-groesse-de-maiziere-macht-schluss-mit-bundestag-70589826.bild.html |date=30 January 2021 }} ''[[BILD]]''.</ref>
* [[Hans-Georg von der Marwitz (politician)|Hans-Georg von der Marwitz]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.moz.de/lokales/bernau/bundestagskandidat-cdu-waehlt-ueberraschend-sabine-buder-statt-hans-georg-von-der-marwitz-50880759.html|title=Bundestagskandidat: CDU wählt überraschend Sabine Buder statt Hans-Georg von der Marwitz|date=15 August 2020|website=moz.de|access-date=20 June 2021|archive-date=13 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613140712/https://www.moz.de/lokales/bernau/bundestagskandidat-cdu-waehlt-ueberraschend-sabine-buder-statt-hans-georg-von-der-marwitz-50880759.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Angela Merkel]], incumbent Chancellor<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Spoiler-Merkel-bleibt-article21024105.html|title=Spoiler: Merkel bleibt|first=Benjamin|last=Konietzny|website=n-tv.de|access-date=17 November 2019|archive-date=13 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813175710/https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Spoiler-Merkel-bleibt-article21024105.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Hans Michelbach]]<ref>[https://www.np-coburg.de/inhalt.coburg-bundestagswahl-michelbach-tritt-nicht-mehr-fuer-coburg-kronach-an.058af25f-f56f-455f-8bab-18e48716b69a.html Michelbach tritt nicht mehr für Coburg im Bundestag an] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624201858/https://www.np-coburg.de/inhalt.coburg-bundestagswahl-michelbach-tritt-nicht-mehr-fuer-coburg-kronach-an.058af25f-f56f-455f-8bab-18e48716b69a.html |date=24 June 2021 }} (German)</ref>
* [[Elisabeth Motschmann]]<ref>[https://www.bild.de/regional/bremen/bremen-aktuell/bremen-motschmann-zieht-kandidatur-zurueck-75278278.bild.html Bremen: Motschmann zieht Kandidatur zurück] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210200905/https://www.bild.de/regional/bremen/bremen-aktuell/bremen-motschmann-zieht-kandidatur-zurueck-75278278.bild.html |date=10 February 2021 }} ''[[Bild]]'', 8 February 2021.</ref>
* [[Gerd Müller (politician)|Gerd Müller]],<ref>Christian Deutschländer (13 September 2020), [https://www.merkur.de/politik/gerd-mueller-csu-entwicklungsminister-merkel-kabinett-regierung-csu-schluss-politik-90042706.html CSU-Minister Gerd Müller kündigt überraschend Rückzug aus der Politik an - „Großer Verlust"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204165851/https://www.merkur.de/politik/gerd-mueller-csu-entwicklungsminister-merkel-kabinett-regierung-csu-schluss-politik-90042706.html |date=4 February 2021 }} ''[[Münchner Merkur]]''.</ref> incumbent [[Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (Germany)|Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development]]
* [[Michaela Noll]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mettmann|first=Schaufenster|date=2019-08-23|title=Die Kreis-CDU äußert sich zu Michaela Nolls Abschied 2021: "Wir bedauern ihre Entscheidung"|url=https://www.schaufenster-mettmann.de/kreis/wir-bedauern-ihre-entscheidung_aid-45297455|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117182538/https://www.schaufenster-mettmann.de/kreis/wir-bedauern-ihre-entscheidung_aid-45297455|archive-date=17 November 2019|access-date=|website=Schaufenster Mettmann}}</ref>
* [[Georg Nüßlein]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/corona-maskendeal-ruecktritt-100.html |title=Zdf.de: Corona Maskenskandal |access-date=14 March 2021 |archive-date=10 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310204153/https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/corona-maskendeal-ruecktritt-100.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Martin Patzelt]]<ref>[https://www.moz.de/lokales/frankfurt-oder/politiker-aus-frankfurt-_oder_-der-bundestagsabgeordnete-martin-patzelt-und-das-finale-seiner-politischen-laufbahn-54833818.html Moz.de: Der Bundestagsabgeordnete Martin Patzelt und das Finale seiner politischen Laufbahn] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624203604/https://www.moz.de/lokales/frankfurt-oder/politiker-aus-frankfurt-_oder_-der-bundestagsabgeordnete-martin-patzelt-und-das-finale-seiner-politischen-laufbahn-54833818.html |date=24 June 2021 }} (German)</ref>
* [[Joachim Pfeiffer]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/stuttgart/pfeiffer-legt-amt-nieder-100.html|title=Waiblinger CDU-Abgeordneter Pfeiffer verzichtet auf neuerliche Kandidatur für den Bundestag|first1=S. W. R.|last1=Aktuell|website=swr.online|access-date=1 May 2021|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501004103/https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/stuttgart/pfeiffer-legt-amt-nieder-100.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Eckhardt Rehberg]]<ref name="SVG">[https://www.svz.de/regionales/mecklenburg-vorpommern/Viele-neue-Gesichter-unter-den-Kandidaten-fuer-die-Bundestagswahl-in-MV-id29961687.html Wer beerbt Merkel, Rehberg, Bluhm und Co?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923010228/https://www.svz.de/regionales/mecklenburg-vorpommern/Viele-neue-Gesichter-unter-den-Kandidaten-fuer-die-Bundestagswahl-in-MV-id29961687.html |date=23 September 2021 }} (German)</ref>
* [[Lothar Riebsamen]]<ref>[https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/friedrichshafen/cdu-bundestagsabgeordneter-lothar-riebsamen-kandidiert-nicht-mehr-wahlkreis-bodensee-100.html Weingarten: Lothar Riebsamen kandidiert nicht mehr für den Bundestag]{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ''[[Südwestrundfunk]]'', 9 July 2020.</ref>
* [[Anita Schäfer]]<ref>Andreas Ganter (19 August 2020), [https://www.rheinpfalz.de/lokal/pirmasens_artikel,-bundestagsabgeordnete-anita-sch%C3%A4fer-macht-nach-%C3%BCber-20-jahren-platz-f%C3%BCr-die-n%C3%A4chste-generation-_arid,5100070.html?reduced=true Bundestagsabgeordnete Anita Schäfer macht nach über 20 Jahren Platz für die nächste Generation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200831112458/https://www.rheinpfalz.de/lokal/pirmasens_artikel,-bundestagsabgeordnete-anita-sch%C3%A4fer-macht-nach-%C3%BCber-20-jahren-platz-f%C3%BCr-die-n%C3%A4chste-generation-_arid,5100070.html?reduced=true |date=31 August 2020 }} ''[[Die Rheinpfalz]]''.</ref>
* [[Klaus-Peter Schulze]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Direktkandidat der CDU: Niggemann will vom Cottbuser Rathaus in den Bundestag|periodical=Niederlausitz-aktuell.de|url=https://www.niederlausitz-aktuell.de/cottbus/85265/direktkandidat-der-cdu-niggemann-will-vom-cottbuser-rathaus-in-den-bundestag.html|date=2021-01-07|archive-date=26 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626231928/https://www.niederlausitz-aktuell.de/cottbus/85265/direktkandidat-der-cdu-niggemann-will-vom-cottbuser-rathaus-in-den-bundestag.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Uwe Schummer]]<ref>Andreas Reiner (26 December 2019), [https://rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/kempen/rp-gespraech-mit-dem-cdu-bundestagsabgeordneten-uwe-schummer_aid-47741647 RP-Gespräch mit dem CDU-Bundestagsabgeordneten Uwe Schummer: Erfolge der Koalition besser verkaufen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706231756/https://rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/kempen/rp-gespraech-mit-dem-cdu-bundestagsabgeordneten-uwe-schummer_aid-47741647 |date=6 July 2020 }} ''[[Rheinische Post]]''.</ref>
* [[Patrick Sensburg]]<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2021-04/friedrich-merz-bundestag-direktmandat-sauerland-cdu-patrick-sensburg |title=Zeit.de: Friedrich Merz zum Direktkandidaten der CDU im Sauerland gewählt (German) |newspaper=Die Zeit |date=17 April 2021 |access-date=1 May 2021 |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501003442/https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2021-04/friedrich-merz-bundestag-direktmandat-sauerland-cdu-patrick-sensburg?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.de%2F |url-status=live |last1=Geil |first1=Karin }}</ref>
* [[Frank Steffel]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-10-25|title=Frank Steffel kündigt Rückzug von der Politik an|url=https://www.rbb24.de/politik/beitrag/2019/10/berlin-reinickendorf-frank-steffel-politik-Rueckzug.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117182540/https://www.rbb24.de/politik/beitrag/2019/10/berlin-reinickendorf-frank-steffel-politik-Rueckzug.html|archive-date=17 November 2019|access-date=|website=rbb24|language=de}}</ref>
* [[Karin Strenz]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/Mecklenburg/Wismar/CDU-raeumt-auf-Muss-jetzt-auch-MV-Abgeordnete-Karin-Strenz-abtreten |title=Ostsee-Zeitung.de: CDU räumt auf |date=13 March 2021 |access-date=14 March 2021 |archive-date=13 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210313181106/https://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/Mecklenburg/Wismar/CDU-raeumt-auf-Muss-jetzt-auch-MV-Abgeordnete-Karin-Strenz-abtreten |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Peter Tauber]]<ref>[https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/cdu-peter-tauber-beendet-2021-seine-politische-karriere-17008725.html Peter Tauber beendet 2021 seine politische Karriere] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121224825/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/cdu-peter-tauber-beendet-2021-seine-politische-karriere-17008725.html |date=21 November 2020 }} ''[[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]]'', 18 October 2020.</ref>
* [[Arnold Vaatz]]<ref name="Gunnar Saft, Thilo Alexe"/>
* [[Kees de Vries]]<ref name="Michael Bock"/>
* [[Peter Weiß]]<ref>Mark Alexander (17 July 2020), [https://www.badische-zeitung.de/der-cdu-abgeordnete-peter-weiss-kandidiert-bei-der-bundestagswahl-2021-nicht-mehr--188227760.html Wahlkreis Emmendingen-Lahr: Der CDU-Abgeordnete Peter Weiß kandidiert bei der Bundestagswahl 2021 nicht mehr] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726113311/https://www.badische-zeitung.de/der-cdu-abgeordnete-peter-weiss-kandidiert-bei-der-bundestagswahl-2021-nicht-mehr--188227760.html |date=26 July 2020 }} ''[[Badische Zeitung]]''.</ref>
* [[Marian Wendt]]<ref>[https://www.lvz.de/Region/Delitzsch/Paukenschlag-in-Nordsachsen-Politik-Bundestagsabgeordneter-Marian-Wendt-kuendigt-Rueckzug-an Paukenschlag in Nordsachsen-Politik: Marian Wendt kündigt Rückzug an] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116161351/https://www.lvz.de/Region/Delitzsch/Paukenschlag-in-Nordsachsen-Politik-Bundestagsabgeordneter-Marian-Wendt-kuendigt-Rueckzug-an |date=16 January 2021 }} ''[[Leipziger Volkszeitung]]'', 2 September 2020.</ref>
* [[Tobias Zech]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article228680647/CSU-Abgeordneter-Zech-legt-Bundestagsmandat-und-Parteiaemter-nieder.html?source=k291_autocurated |title=Welt.de: Abgeordneter Zech legt Bundestagsmandat und Parteiämter nieder |date=19 March 2021 |access-date=19 March 2021 |archive-date=20 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420092530/https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article228680647/Tobias-Zech-CSU-Abgeordneter-legt-Bundestagsmandat-und-Parteiaemter-nieder.html?source=k291_autocurated |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{div col end}}
=== SPD ===
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Bela Bach]]<ref>spiegel.de: [https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/bela-bach-spd-juengste-bundestagsabgeordnete-zieht-sich-aus-der-politik-zurueck-a-a49f29be-54aa-433d-8696-cc8014f91db6 ''SPD-Abgeordnete Bach zieht sich aus der Politik zurück''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318162408/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/bela-bach-spd-juengste-bundestagsabgeordnete-zieht-sich-aus-der-politik-zurueck-a-a49f29be-54aa-433d-8696-cc8014f91db6 |date=18 March 2021 }}</ref>
* [[Lothar Binding]]<ref>{{cite web | first=Michael | last=Abschlag | date=4 April 2020 | url=https://www.rnz.de/nachrichten/metropolregion_artikel,-heidelberg-spd-abgeordneter-lothar-binding-verlaesst-2021-den-bundestag-_arid,508035.html | title=Heidelberg: SPD-Abgeordneter Lothar Binding verlässt 2021 den Bundestag | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109171259/https://www.rnz.de/nachrichten/metropolregion_artikel,-heidelberg-spd-abgeordneter-lothar-binding-verlaesst-2021-den-bundestag-_arid,508035.html | archivedate=9 January 2021 | work=Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung}}</ref>
* [[Ingrid Arndt-Brauer]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Sarah Lahrkamp zieht es nach Berlin|periodical=Wn.de|publisher=Westfälische Nachrichten|url=http://www.wn.de/article/sarah-lahrkamp-zieht-es-nach-b-1075097|date=2021-02-12|language=de|pages=|quote=|archive-date=30 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130172551/https://www.wn.de/muensterland/kreis-steinfurt/ochtrup/sarah-lahrkamp-zieht-es-nach-berlin-1075097|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Fritz Felgentreu]]<ref>Georg Ismar and Ulrich Zawatka-Gerlach (11 June 2020), [https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/spd-fraktion-verliert-verteidigungsfachmann-fritz-felgentreu-kuendigt-seinen-abschied-an/25908574.html SPD-Fraktion verliert Verteidigungsfachmann: Fritz Felgentreu kündigt seinen Abschied an] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005230603/https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/spd-fraktion-verliert-verteidigungsfachmann-fritz-felgentreu-kuendigt-seinen-abschied-an/25908574.html |date=5 October 2020 }} ''[[Der Tagesspiegel]]''.</ref>
* [[Ulrich Freese]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Bundestagswahl 2021: Was Sie über die Lausitzer Kandidaten, Fristen und Parteien wissen müssen|periodical=Lr-online.de|publisher=[[Lausitzer Rundschau]]|url=https://www.lr-online.de/nachrichten/brandenburg/bundestagswahl-2021-kanidaten-fristen-termine-51383654.html|author=Bodo Baumert|date=2021-04-27|language=de|archive-date=4 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504143221/https://www.lr-online.de/nachrichten/brandenburg/bundestagswahl-2021-kanidaten-fristen-termine-51383654.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Dagmar Freitag]]<ref>Jürgen Overkott (12 November 2020), [https://www.wp.de/staedte/balve/nachfolge-von-dagmar-freitag-so-will-yalcin-geyhan-punkten-id230899680.html Nachfolge von Dagmar Freitag: So will Yalçin Geyhan punkten] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113064138/https://www.wp.de/staedte/balve/nachfolge-von-dagmar-freitag-so-will-yalcin-geyhan-punkten-id230899680.html |date=13 November 2020 }} ''Westfalenpost''.</ref>
* [[Barbara Hendricks (politician)|Barbara Hendricks]],<ref name= "Kevelaerer Blatt">{{Cite web |url=https://www.kevelaerer-blatt.de/wenn-man-politik-macht-muss-man-menschen-moegen/ |title=Kevelaerer-Blatt.de: Wenn man Politik macht, muss man Menschen mögen |access-date=2 March 2021 |archive-date=20 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420092532/https://www.kevelaerer-blatt.de/wenn-man-politik-macht-muss-man-menschen-moegen/ |url-status=live }}</ref> former minister of [[Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety]]
* [[Marcus Held]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.allgemeine-zeitung.de/lokales/oppenheim/oppenheim/affare-marcus-held-das-spenden-gespenst-ist-zuruck_23252597 |title=Allgemeine Zeitung: Affäre Marcus Held |date=2 March 2021 |access-date=16 March 2021 |archive-date=2 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302115316/https://www.allgemeine-zeitung.de/lokales/oppenheim/oppenheim/affare-marcus-held-das-spenden-gespenst-ist-zuruck_23252597 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Gustav Herzog]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-11-03|title=Kaiserslauterer SPD-Bundestagskandidatur: Fünf Bewerber|url=https://www.rheinpfalz.de/lokal/kaiserslautern/artikel/kaiserslauterer-spd-bundestagskandidatur-fuenf-bewerber/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117182531/https://www.rheinpfalz.de/lokal/kaiserslautern/artikel/kaiserslauterer-spd-bundestagskandidatur-fuenf-bewerber/|archive-date=17 November 2019|access-date=|website=rheinpfalz.de|language=de}}</ref>
* [[Gabriele Hiller-Ohm]]
* [[Thomas Jurk]]<ref>Sebastian Beutler (4 October 2020), [https://www.saechsische.de/goerlitz/politik/ex-spd-chef-sachsen-thomas-jurk-bundestag-politik-rueckzug-5287734-plus.html Bundestag: Sachsens früherer SPD-Chef hört auf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026160840/https://www.saechsische.de/goerlitz/politik/ex-spd-chef-sachsen-thomas-jurk-bundestag-politik-rueckzug-5287734-plus.html |date=26 October 2020 }} ''[[Sächsische Zeitung]]''.</ref>
* [[Arno Klare]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lokalklick.eu/2020/11/13/sebastian-fiedler-bewirbt-sich-fuer-bundestagswahlkreis-muelheim-essen-i/|title=Sebastian Fiedler bewirbt sich für Bundestagswahlkreis Mülheim – Essen I|date=13 November 2020|access-date=21 September 2021|archive-date=21 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921160822/https://lokalklick.eu/2020/11/13/sebastian-fiedler-bewirbt-sich-fuer-bundestagswahlkreis-muelheim-essen-i/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Daniela Kolbe]]<ref>[https://www.bild.de/regional/leipzig/leipzig-news/leipziger-spd-abgeordnete-kolbe-macht-schluss-mit-bundestag-65250324.bild.html Leipziger SPD-Abgeordnete: Kolbe macht Schluss mit Bundestag] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028063503/https://www.bild.de/regional/leipzig/leipzig-news/leipziger-spd-abgeordnete-kolbe-macht-schluss-mit-bundestag-65250324.bild.html |date=28 October 2020 }} ''[[Bild]]'', 10 October 2020.</ref>
* [[Ralf Kapschack]]<ref>Jürgen Augstein-Peschel (14 October 2020), [https://www.waz.de/staedte/witten/spd-in-witten-kapschack-tritt-nicht-mehr-fuer-bundestag-an-id230663346.html SPD in Witten: Kapschack tritt nicht mehr für Bundestag an] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018073952/https://www.waz.de/staedte/witten/spd-in-witten-kapschack-tritt-nicht-mehr-fuer-bundestag-an-id230663346.html |date=18 October 2020 }} ''[[Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung]]''.</ref>
* [[Christine Lambrecht]], incumbent [[Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection|Minister for Justice and Consumer Protection]]<ref>[https://www.morgenweb.de/mannheimer-morgen_artikel,-politik-bundesjustizministerin-christine-lambrecht-spd-tritt-nicht-mehr-an-_arid,1683993.html Bundesjustizministerin Christine Lambrecht (SPD) tritt nicht mehr an] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201234125/https://www.morgenweb.de/mannheimer-morgen_artikel,-politik-bundesjustizministerin-christine-lambrecht-spd-tritt-nicht-mehr-an-_arid,1683993.html |date=1 February 2021 }} ''Mannheimer Morgen'', 5 September 2020.</ref>
* [[Christian Lange (politician)|Christian Lange]]<ref>[https://www.schwaebische.de/landkreis/ostalbkreis/schwaebisch-gmuend_artikel,-christian-lange-kandidiert-nicht-mehr-f%C3%BCr-den-bundestag-_arid,11232055.html Christian Lange kandidiert nicht mehr für den Bundestag] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610062834/https://www.schwaebische.de/landkreis/ostalbkreis/schwaebisch-gmuend_artikel%2C-christian-lange-kandidiert-nicht-mehr-f%C3%BCr-den-bundestag-_arid%2C11232055.html |date=10 June 2020 }} ''[[Schwäbische Zeitung]]'', 9 June 2020.</ref>
* [[Kirsten Lühmann]]<ref>Christoph Zimmer (28 August 2020), [https://www.cellesche-zeitung.de/Celle/Aus-der-Stadt/Celle-Stadt/Bundestagsabgeordnete-Kirsten-Luehmann-SPD-aus-Celle-tritt-nicht-mehr-an Kirsten Lühmann (SPD) tritt nicht wieder an] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016214319/https://www.cellesche-zeitung.de/Celle/Aus-der-Stadt/Celle-Stadt/Bundestagsabgeordnete-Kirsten-Luehmann-SPD-aus-Celle-tritt-nicht-mehr-an |date=16 October 2020 }} ''[[Cellesche Zeitung]]''.</ref>
* [[Caren Marks]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.neustaedter-zeitung.de/artikel/11598.html|title=Caren Marks will 2021 nicht noch einmal für den Bundestag kandidieren|website=neustaedter-zeitung.de|access-date=17 November 2019|archive-date=17 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117182538/https://www.neustaedter-zeitung.de/artikel/11598.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Christoph Matschie]]<ref>[https://www.mdr.de/thueringen/christoph-matschie-spd-kandidiert-nicht-bundestag-100.html Abschied von politischer Bühne SPD-Politiker Christoph Matschie kandidiert nicht mehr für Bundestag] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130004245/https://www.mdr.de/thueringen/christoph-matschie-spd-kandidiert-nicht-bundestag-100.html |date=30 November 2020 }} ''[[Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk]]'', 11 September 2020.</ref>
* [[Hilde Mattheis]]<ref>Johannes Rauneker (3 July 2020), [https://www.schwaebische.de/landkreis/alb-donau-kreis/ulm_artikel,-mattheis-kehrt-bundespolitik-den-r%C3%BCcken-ulmer-spd-muss-sich-neu-aufstellen-_arid,11241620.html Mattheis kehrt Bundespolitik den Rücken: Ulmer SPD muss sich neu aufstellen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704214403/https://www.schwaebische.de/landkreis/alb-donau-kreis/ulm_artikel,-mattheis-kehrt-bundespolitik-den-r%C3%BCcken-ulmer-spd-muss-sich-neu-aufstellen-_arid,11241620.html |date=4 July 2020 }} ''[[Schwäbische Zeitung]]''.</ref>
* [[Markus Paschke]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Bundestag: Markus Paschke verzichtet auf Kandidatur|work=Ostfriesen-Zeitung|url=http://www.oz-online.de/-news/artikel/883826/Bundestag-Markus-Paschke-verzichtet-auf-Kandidatur|access-date=4 October 2021|author=Jonas Bothe|date=19 October 2020|language=de|archive-date=3 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603194203/https://www.oz-online.de/-news/artikel/883826/Bundestag-Markus-Paschke-verzichtet-auf-Kandidatur|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Florian Pronold]]<ref>[https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/florian-pronold-tritt-nicht-mehr-bei-bundestagswahl-an,SDZK6bu Bayerischer Rundfunk: Florian Pronold tritt nicht mehr bei Bundestagswahl an] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010092348/https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/florian-pronold-tritt-nicht-mehr-bei-bundestagswahl-an,SDZK6bu |date=10 October 2021 }}, October 2020 (German)</ref>
* [[Sascha Raabe]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.main-echo.de/regional/rhein-main-hessen/bundestag-kuenftig-ohne-sascha-raabe-art-6064282|title=Bundestag künftig ohne Sascha Raabe {{pipe}} Foto: foto di matti|first=Thomas|last=Jungewelter|date=20 June 2018|website=main-echo.de|access-date=17 February 2021|archive-date=20 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420092531/https://www.main-echo.de/regional/rhein-main-hessen/bundestag-kuenftig-ohne-sascha-raabe-art-6064282|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Ernst Dieter Rossmann]]<ref>Alexander Sulanke (7 July 2020), [https://www.abendblatt.de/region/pinneberg/article229464348/Ernst-Dieter-Rossmann-hoert-auf-und-wirbt-fuer-Olaf-Scholz.html Ernst Dieter Rossmann hört auf – und wirbt für Olaf Scholz] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214232017/https://www.abendblatt.de/region/pinneberg/article229464348/Ernst-Dieter-Rossmann-hoert-auf-und-wirbt-fuer-Olaf-Scholz.html |date=14 December 2020 }} ''[[Hamburger Abendblatt]]''.</ref>
* [[Ulla Schmidt]],<ref>[https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/spd-bundestagsvizepraesident-oppermann-schmidt-ziegler-1.5117280 Sueddeutsche.de: Eine Kandidatin zu viel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010092348/https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/spd-bundestagsvizepraesident-oppermann-schmidt-ziegler-1.5117280 |date=10 October 2021 }} (German)</ref> former minister of [[Federal Ministry of Health (Germany)|Federal Ministry of Health]]
* [[Ursula Schulte]]<ref>Horst Andresen (23 July 2020), [https://www.borkenerzeitung.de/lokales/kreisborken/Ursula-Schulte-tritt-2021-nicht-mehr-an-293601.html Ursula Schulte tritt 2021 nicht mehr an] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724074203/https://www.borkenerzeitung.de/lokales/kreisborken/Ursula-Schulte-tritt-2021-nicht-mehr-an-293601.html |date=24 July 2020 }} ''Borkener Zeitung''.</ref>
* [[Martin Schulz]], SPD candidate for Chancellor in the 2017 federal election<ref>[https://www.aachener-nachrichten.de/politik/deutschland/ich-brenne-weiter-fuer-die-sache_aid-55222725 Interview mit Martin Schulz: „Ich brenne weiter für die Sache"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126053334/https://www.aachener-nachrichten.de/politik/deutschland/ich-brenne-weiter-fuer-die-sache_aid-55222725 |date=26 January 2021 }} ''[[Aachener Nachrichten]]'', 15 December 2020.</ref>
* [[Swen Schulz]]<ref>{{Cite news|last=Zawatka-Gerlach|first=Ulrich|date=2018-08-16|title=Sozialdemokrat Swen Schulz kandidiert nicht mehr für Bundestag|url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/spd-berlin-sozialdemokrat-swen-schulz-kandidiert-nicht-mehr-fuer-bundestag/22919642.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117182540/https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/spd-berlin-sozialdemokrat-swen-schulz-kandidiert-nicht-mehr-fuer-bundestag/22919642.html|archive-date=17 November 2019|access-date=2020-11-23|newspaper=Der Tagesspiegel Online}}</ref>
* [[Rainer Spiering]]<ref>''Bundestagswahl wirft Schatten voraus: Wer wechselt vom Landtag in den Bundestag?'' in: ''Rundblick – Politikjournal für Niedersachsen'' Nr. 108/2020, 10 June 2020, p. 3.</ref>
* [[Sonja Steffen]]<ref name="SVG"/>
* [[Kerstin Tack]]<ref>[https://www.haz.de/Hannover/Aus-der-Stadt/Hannoversche-SPD-Abgeordnete-Kerstin-Tack-will-nicht-wieder-in-den-Bundestag Hannoversche SPD-Abgeordnete: Kerstin Tack will nicht wieder in den Bundestag] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420092533/https://www.haz.de/Hannover/Aus-der-Stadt/Hannoversche-SPD-Abgeordnete-Kerstin-Tack-will-nicht-wieder-in-den-Bundestag |date=20 April 2021 }} ''[[Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung]]'', 26 August 2020.</ref>
* [[Gabi Weber]]<ref>[https://www.blick-aktuell.de/Politik/Ich-werde-nicht-mehr-kandidieren-434530.html „Ich werde nicht mehr kandidieren"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923010657/https://www.blick-aktuell.de/Politik/Ich-werde-nicht-mehr-kandidieren-434530.html |date=23 September 2021 }}(German)</ref>
* [[Dagmar Ziegler]], incumbent [[Presidium of the Bundestag|Vice President of the Bundestag]]<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lassiwe|first=Benjamin|date=2019-12-16|title=Dagmar Ziegler tritt nicht wieder an: SPD-Bundestagsabgeordnete hört 2021 auf|url=https://www.pnn.de/brandenburg/dagmar-ziegler-tritt-nicht-wieder-an-spd-bundestagsabgeordnete-hoert-2021-auf/25341104.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228211501/https://www.pnn.de/brandenburg/dagmar-ziegler-tritt-nicht-wieder-an-spd-bundestagsabgeordnete-hoert-2021-auf/25341104.html|archive-date=28 December 2019|access-date=|newspaper=Der Tagesspiegel Online|language=de}}</ref>
{{div col end}}
=== FDP ===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Grigorios Aggelidis]]<ref>[https://fdp-nds.de/landesliste-der-fdp-niedersachsen-bis-platz-12-zur-bundestagswahl-gewaehlt FDP Niedersachsen: Landesliste der FDP Niedersachsen bis Platz 12 zur Bundestagswahl gewählt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624202151/https://fdp-nds.de/landesliste-der-fdp-niedersachsen-bis-platz-12-zur-bundestagswahl-gewaehlt |date=24 June 2021 }}, Jun 5, 2021 (German)</ref>
* [[Britta Dassler]]<ref>[https://www.nordbayern.de/region/erlangen/unzufrieden-mit-der-arbeit-britta-dassler-fallt-bei-fdp-abstimmung-durch-1.10460185 Nordbayern.de: Unzufried mit der Arbeit, Britta Dassler fällt bei FDP-Abstimmung durch] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210704153113/https://www.nordbayern.de/region/erlangen/unzufrieden-mit-der-arbeit-britta-dassler-fallt-bei-fdp-abstimmung-durch-1.10460185 |date=4 July 2021 }}, (German)</ref>
* [[Hartmut Ebbing]]<ref>[https://hebbing.abgeordnete.fdpbt.de/beendigung-meines-bundestagsmandates Beendigung meines Bundestagsmandates] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624203056/https://hebbing.abgeordnete.fdpbt.de/beendigung-meines-bundestagsmandates |date=24 June 2021 }}, (German)</ref>
* [[Ulla Ihnen]]<ref>[https://www.neuepresse.de/Hannover/Meine-Stadt/Schluss-mit-Bundestag-Ulla-Ihnen-FDP-freut-sich-auf-neue-Freizeit Neue Presse: Schluss mit Bundestag, Ulla Ihnen freut sich auf neue Freizeit] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204619/https://www.neuepresse.de/Hannover/Meine-Stadt/Schluss-mit-Bundestag-Ulla-Ihnen-FDP-freut-sich-auf-neue-Freizeit |date=24 June 2021 }}, (German)</ref>
* [[Marcel Klinge]]<ref>[https://www.suedkurier.de/region/schwarzwald/schwarzwald-baar-kreis/marcel-klinge-verzichtet-auf-vorderen-fdp-listen-platz-und-damit-auf-die-chance-wieder-in-den-bundestag-gewaehlt-zu-werden;art372502,10635124 Südkurier.de: Marcel Klinge verzichtet auf vorderen FDP-Listen-Platz und damit auf die Chance, wieder in den Bundestag gewählt zu werden] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923010655/https://www.suedkurier.de/region/schwarzwald/schwarzwald-baar-kreis/marcel-klinge-verzichtet-auf-vorderen-fdp-listen-platz-und-damit-auf-die-chance-wieder-in-den-bundestag-gewaehlt-zu-werden;art372502,10635124 |date=23 September 2021 }} October 2020, (German)</ref>
* [[Alexander Kulitz]]<ref>[https://www.fdpbw.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Gesammtergebnisse-LVV2020.pdf FDP Baden-Württemberg.de: Gesamtergebnisse 2021] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926232434/https://www.fdpbw.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Gesammtergebnisse-LVV2020.pdf |date=26 September 2021 }}, (German)</ref>
* [[Roman Müller-Böhm]]<ref>[https://www.fdp.nrw/sites/default/files/2021-03/Einzelwahlen.pdf FDP.NRW.de: Einzelwahlen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210323112318/https://www.fdp.nrw/sites/default/files/2021-03/Einzelwahlen.pdf |date=23 March 2021 }}, (German)</ref>
* [[Martin Neumann]]<ref>[https://www.fdp-brandenburg.de/2021/03/21/fdp-stellt-landesliste-zur-bundestagswahl-2021-auf/ FDP Brandenburg: FDP stellt Landesliste zur Bundestagswahl 2021 auf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624221136/https://www.fdp-brandenburg.de/2021/03/21/fdp-stellt-landesliste-zur-bundestagswahl-2021-auf/ |date=24 June 2021 }}, (German)</ref>
* [[Wieland Schinnenburg]]<ref>[https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/Hamburger-FDP-waehlt-Michael-Kruse-zum-Spitzenkandidaten-,fdp1004.html NDR.de: Hamburger FDP wählt Michael Kruse zum Spitzenkandidaten] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428022425/https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/Hamburger-FDP-waehlt-Michael-Kruse-zum-Spitzenkandidaten-,fdp1004.html |date=28 April 2021 }}, (German)</ref>
* [[Frank Sitta]]<ref>Kai Gauselmann (July 8, 2020), [https://www.mz-web.de/sachsen-anhalt/landespolitik/in-kritik-geraten-fdp-landeschef-frank-sitta-kuendigt-rueckzug-an-36981406 In Kritik geraten FDP-Landeschef: Frank Sitta kündigt Rückzug an ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420092536/https://www.mz.de/mitteldeutschland/sachsen-anhalt/frank-sitta-fdp-landeschef-kundigt-ruckzug-an-1687257 |date=20 April 2021 }} ''[[Mitteldeutsche Zeitung]]''.</ref>
* [[Hermann Otto Solms]], [[Father of the House]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Soßdorf|first=Rüdiger|date=2019-01-28|title=Hermann Otto Solms: "Sehe für die AfD im Landkreis Gießen auf Dauer keine Zukunft"|url=https://www.giessener-allgemeine.de/kreis-giessen/lich-ort848773/hermann-otto-solms-sehe-landkreis-giessen-dauer-keine-zukunft-12157920.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117182537/https://www.giessener-allgemeine.de/kreis-giessen/lich-ort848773/hermann-otto-solms-sehe-landkreis-giessen-dauer-keine-zukunft-12157920.html|archive-date=17 November 2019|access-date=|website=giessener-allgemeine.de}}</ref>
* [[Katja Suding]]<ref>[https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/katja-suding-fdp-chefin-scheidet-aus-politik-aus-a-e8b77e3d-d045-4d8d-a94c-7a773d077fd5 Rückzug Hamburger: FDP-Chefin Katja Suding scheidet aus Politik aus] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922201910/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/katja-suding-fdp-chefin-scheidet-aus-politik-aus-a-e8b77e3d-d045-4d8d-a94c-7a773d077fd5 |date=22 September 2020 }} ''[[Der Spiegel]]'', 5 September 2020.</ref>
{{div col end}}
=== Greens ===
* [[Anja Hajduk]]<ref>Andreas Dey (10 September 2020), [https://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/kommunales/article230380050/anja-hajduk-gruene-bundestag-mandat-zurueck-ziehen-hamburg-senatorin-moorburg.html Anja Hajduk: Grünen-Politikerin zieht sich aus Bundestag zurück] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202231602/https://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/kommunales/article230380050/anja-hajduk-gruene-bundestag-mandat-zurueck-ziehen-hamburg-senatorin-moorburg.html |date=2 December 2020 }} ''[[Hamburger Abendblatt]]''.</ref>
* [[Sylvia Kotting-Uhl]]<ref>Theo Westermann (22 January 2020), [https://bnn.de/lokales/karlsruhe/karlsruher-bundestagsabgeordnete-kotting-uhl-tritt-nicht-mehr-an Karlsruher Bundestagsabgeordnete Kotting-Uhl tritt nicht mehr an] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200123172751/https://bnn.de/lokales/karlsruhe/karlsruher-bundestagsabgeordnete-kotting-uhl-tritt-nicht-mehr-an |date=23 January 2020 }} ''[[Badische Neueste Nachrichten]]''.</ref>
* [[Monika Lazar]]<ref>[https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/sachsen/politik/gruene-wollen-historisches-ergebnis-bei-bundestagswahl-100.html Delegiertenversammlung: Sachsens Grüne gehen mit Spitzentrio in die Bundestagswahl] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427223036/https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/sachsen/politik/gruene-wollen-historisches-ergebnis-bei-bundestagswahl-100.html |date=27 April 2021 }} ''[[Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk]]'', 24 April 2021.</ref>
* [[Friedrich Ostendorff]]<ref>[https://www.topagrar.com/management-und-politik/news/ostendorff-tritt-zur-bundestagswahl-2021-nicht-wieder-an-12379449.html Ostendorff tritt zur Bundestagswahl 2021 nicht wieder an] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923010652/https://www.topagrar.com/management-und-politik/news/ostendorff-tritt-zur-bundestagswahl-2021-nicht-wieder-an-12379449.html |date=23 September 2021 }} ''Topagrar'', 19 October 2020.</ref>
* [[Frithjof Schmidt]]<ref>[https://rp-online.de/politik/deutschland/bundestagswahl/bundestagswahl-2021-in-bochum-wahllokale-kandidaten-parteien_aid-58809233 Was Sie zur Bundestagswahl 2021 in Bochum wissen müssen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613142048/https://rp-online.de/politik/deutschland/bundestagswahl/bundestagswahl-2021-in-bochum-wahllokale-kandidaten-parteien_aid-58809233 |date=13 June 2021 }} ''[[Rheinische Post]]'', 6 June 2021.</ref>
=== The Left ===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Heidrun Bluhm]]<ref name="SVG"/>
* [[Sylvia Gabelmann]]<ref>[https://sylvia-gabelmann.de/2020/11/26/persoenliche-erklaerung-zur-bundestagswahl-2021/ Persönliche Erklärung im November 2020] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416223619/https://sylvia-gabelmann.de/2020/11/26/persoenliche-erklaerung-zur-bundestagswahl-2021/ |date=16 April 2021 }}, (German)</ref>
* [[Fabio De Masi]]<ref>[https://m.tagesspiegel.de/politik/abgang-mit-knalleffekt-warum-der-linke-finanzexperte-fabio-de-masi-dem-bundestag-ciao-sagt/26951272.html Tagesspiegel.de: Abgang mit Knalleffekt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227005758/https://m.tagesspiegel.de/politik/abgang-mit-knalleffekt-warum-der-linke-finanzexperte-fabio-de-masi-dem-bundestag-ciao-sagt/26951272.html |date=27 February 2021 }} (German)</ref>
* [[Ulla Jelpke]]<ref>[https://www.nd-aktuell.de/artikel/1144977.ulla-jelpke-erfahrene-linke.html Neues Deutschland-Aktuell.de: Nach fast 30 Jahren im Bundestag tritt Ulla Jelpke nicht wieder an.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624205430/https://www.nd-aktuell.de/artikel/1144977.ulla-jelpke-erfahrene-linke.html |date=24 June 2021 }} (German)</ref>
* [[Sabine Leidig]]<ref>[https://www.fr.de/thema/bundestagswahl-ere754863/janine-wissler-fuehrt-linke-in-die-wahl-90781182.html Frankfurter Rundschau: Die Linke in Hessen: Janine Wissler führt ihre Partei in die Bundestagswahl ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624201427/https://www.fr.de/thema/bundestagswahl-ere754863/janine-wissler-fuehrt-linke-in-die-wahl-90781182.html |date=24 June 2021 }} (German)</ref>
* [[Stefan Liebich]]<ref>[https://m.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/berliner-linken-abgeordneter-stefan-liebich-will-nicht-erneut-fuer-bundestag-kandidieren/25565546.html Tagesspiegel.de: Berliner Linken Abgeordneter Stefan Liebich will nicht erneut für Bundestag kandidieren] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210317012538/https://m.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/berliner-linken-abgeordneter-stefan-liebich-will-nicht-erneut-fuer-bundestag-kandidieren/25565546.html |date=17 March 2021 }}, (German)</ref>
* [[Michael Leutert]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Plenarprotokoll 19/198|periodical=Deutscher Bundestag|publisher=|url=https://dipbt.bundestag.de/dip21/btp/19/19198.pdf|date=2020-12-09|pages=25010|archive-date=10 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210090218/https://dipbt.bundestag.de/dip21/btp/19/19198.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Niema Movassat]]<ref>[https://movassat.de/zeit-fuer-veraenderung-persoenliche-erklaerung-von-niema-movassat-zur-bundestagswahl-2021 Movassat.de: Zeit für persönliche Veränderung] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624231459/https://movassat.de/zeit-fuer-veraenderung-persoenliche-erklaerung-von-niema-movassat-zur-bundestagswahl-2021 |date=24 June 2021 }}, 15 June 2020 (German)</ref>
* [[Kirsten Tackmann]]<ref>[https://www.agrarzeitung.de/nachrichten/personen/die-linke-tackmann-will-2021-nicht-mehr-kandidieren-91546?crefresh=1 Agrarzeitung.de: Tackmann tritt nicht mehr an] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624203211/https://www.agrarzeitung.de/nachrichten/personen/die-linke-tackmann-will-2021-nicht-mehr-kandidieren-91546?crefresh=1 |date=24 June 2021 }} (German)</ref>
* [[Andreas Wagner (politician)|Andreas Wagner]]<ref>[https://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/wolfratshausen/geretsrieder-politiker-im-bundestag-andreas-wagner-will-nicht-wieder-antreten-1.4859528 Sueddeutsche.de: Andreas Wagner will nicht wieder antreten] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200403082421/https://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/wolfratshausen/geretsrieder-politiker-im-bundestag-andreas-wagner-will-nicht-wieder-antreten-1.4859528 |date=3 April 2020 }}, (German)</ref>
* [[Hubertus Zdebel]]<ref>[https://www.dielinke-nrw.de/start/aktuell/detail/news/mit-dem-spitzenduo-wagenknecht-und-birkwald-in-den-bundestagswahlkampf/ Die Linke-NRW.de: Mit dem Spitzenduo Wagenknecht und Birkwald in den Bundestagswahlkampf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624203125/https://www.dielinke-nrw.de/start/aktuell/detail/news/mit-dem-spitzenduo-wagenknecht-und-birkwald-in-den-bundestagswahlkampf/ |date=24 June 2021 }}, April 2021, (German)</ref>
{{div col end}}
=== Independents ===
* [[Frauke Petry]], former leader of AfD<ref>{{Cite news|date=2019-11-05|title=Frauke Petry kündigt Ende ihrer "Blauen Partei" an|url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/frauke-petry-kuendigt-ende-ihrer-blauen-partei-an-a-1294984.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106162820/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/frauke-petry-kuendigt-ende-ihrer-blauen-partei-an-a-1294984.html|archive-date=6 November 2019|access-date=|website=DER SPIEGEL|language=de}}</ref>
== Opinion polls ==
{{main|Opinion polling for the 2021 German federal election}}
{{wide image|Opinion polls Germany 2021.svg|1000px|[[Local regression]] of polls conducted}}
=== Poll trackers ===
Trackers of voting intentions and other election-related polling:
* [https://europeelects.eu/germany/ ''Europe Elects'']
* [https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/who-will-succeed-angela-merkel ''The Economist'']
* [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/21/german-election-poll-tracker-who-will-be-the-next-chancellor ''The Guardian''] – includes breakdown of hypothetical coalition governments
* [https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2021/08/german-election-2021-new-statesman-s-poll-tracker ''New Statesman''] – includes polling of German voters' preferred chancellor and the issues they prioritise as well as a breakdown of hypothetical coalition governments
* [https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/germany/ ''Politico'']
== Results ==
{{main|Results of the 2021 German federal election}}
Although the vote share of the [[South Schleswig Voters' Association]] (0.12%) was well below the 5% electoral threshold, due to its status of being representative of a recognised minority group (Danes and Frisians), an exception in federal law allowed the party to win one party-list seat.
{{Election results
{{Election results
|image=[[File:Bundestag 2021.svg]]
|firstround=Party-list|secondround=Constituency
|firstround=Party-list|secondround=Constituency
|party1=[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]]|votes1=11901556|seats1=85|votes1_2=12184094|seats1_2=121|totseats1=206|sc1=+53
|image=[[File:Deutschland Bundestag 2013.svg]]
|party1=[[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]]|votes1=14921877|seats1=64|votes1_2=16233642|seats1_2=191|totseats1=255|sc1=+61
|party2=[[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]]|votes2=8774919|seats2=54|votes2_2=10445923|seats2_2=98|totseats2=152|sc2=−48
|party3=[[Alliance 90/The Greens]]|votes3=6814401|seats3=102|votes3_2=6435360|seats3_2=16|totseats3=118|sc3=+51
|party2=[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]]|votes2=11252215|seats2=135|votes2_2=12843458|seats2_2=58|totseats2=193|sc2=+47
|party3=[[The Left (Germany)|The Left]]|votes3=3755699|seats3=60|votes3_2=3585178|seats3_2=4|totseats3=64|sc3=−12
|party4=[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]]|votes4=5291010|seats4=91|votes4_2=4019562|seats4_2=0|totseats4=91|sc4=+11
|party5=[[Alternative for Germany]]|votes5=4809228|seats5=67|votes5_2=4699917|seats5_2=16|totseats5=83|sc5=−11
|party4=[[Alliance 90/The Greens]]|votes4=3694057|seats4=62|votes4_2=3180299|seats4_2=1|totseats4=63|sc4=−5
|party5=[[Christian Social Union in Bavaria|Christian Social Union]]|votes5=3243569|seats5=11|votes5_2=3544079|seats5_2=45|totseats5=56|sc5=+11
|party6=[[Christian Social Union in Bavaria|Christian Social Union]]|votes6=2402827|seats6=0|votes6_2=2788048|seats6_2=45|totseats6=45|sc6=−1
|party6=[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]]|votes6=2083533|seats6=0|votes6_2=1028645|seats6_2=0|totseats6=0|sc6=−93
|party7=[[The Left (Germany)|The Left]]|votes7=2255860|seats7=36|votes7_2=2286070|seats7_2=3|totseats7=39|sc7=−30
|party7=[[Alternative for Germany]]|votes7=2056985|seats7=0|votes7_2=810915|seats7_2=0|totseats7=0|sc7=New
|party8=[[Free Voters]]|votes8=1125666|seats8=0|votes8_2=1332707|seats8_2=0|totseats8=0|sc8=0
|party9=[[Human Environment Animal Protection Party]]|votes9=673669|seats9=0|votes9_2=160863|seats9_2=0|totseats9=0|sc9=0
|party8=[[Pirate Party Germany]]|votes8=959177|seats8=0|votes8_2=963623|seats8_2=0|totseats8=0|sc8=0
|party9=[[National Democratic Party of Germany|National Democratic Party]]|votes9=560828|seats9=0|votes9_2=635135|seats9_2=0|totseats9=0|sc9=0
|party10=[[Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany|Grassroots Democratic Party]]|votes10=630153|seats10=0|votes10_2=732620|seats10_2=0|totseats10=0|sc10=New
|party10=[[Free Voters]]|votes10=423977|seats10=0|votes10_2=431640|seats10_2=0|totseats10=0|sc10=New
|party11=[[Die PARTEI]]|votes11=460429|seats11=0|votes11_2=540165|seats11_2=0|totseats11=0|sc11=0
|party12=[[Team Todenhöfer]]|votes12=211860|seats12=0|votes12_2=5422|seats12_2=0|totseats12=0|sc12=New
|party11=[[Human Environment Animal Protection Party]]|votes11=140366|seats11=0|votes11_2=4437|seats11_2=0|totseats11=0|sc11=0
|party12=[[Ecological Democratic Party]]|votes12=127088|seats12=0|votes12_2=128209|seats12_2=0|totseats12=0|sc12=0
|party13=[[Pirate Party Germany]]|votes13=169591|seats13=0|votes13_2=60550|seats13_2=0|totseats13=0|sc13=0
|party13=[[The Republicans (Germany)|The Republicans]]|votes13=91193|seats13=0|votes13_2=27299|seats13_2=0|totseats13=0|sc13=0
|party14=[[Volt Germany]]|votes14=164272|seats14=0|votes14_2=77594|seats14_2=0|totseats14=0|sc14=New
|party14=[[Die PARTEI]]|votes14=78674|seats14=0|votes14_2=39388|seats14_2=0|totseats14=0|sc14=0
|party15=[[Ecological Democratic Party]]|votes15=112131|seats15=0|votes15_2=152540|seats15_2=0|totseats15=0|sc15=0
|party15=[[Pro Germany Citizens' Movement]]|votes15=73854|seats15=0|votes15_2=4815|seats15_2=0|totseats15=0|sc15=New
|party16=[[National Democratic Party of Germany|National Democratic Party]]|votes16=64360|seats16=0|votes16_2=1090|seats16_2=0|totseats16=0|sc16=0
|party17=[[South Schleswig Voters' Association]]|votes17=55578|seats17=1|votes17_2=35027|seats17_2=0|totseats17=1|sc17=+1
|party16=[[Bavaria Party]]|votes16=57395|seats16=0|votes16_2=28430|seats16_2=0|totseats16=0|sc16=0
|party18=[[Partei für Gesundheitsforschung]]|votes18=48495|seats18=0|votes18_2=2173|seats18_2=0|totseats18=0|sc18=0
|party17=[[:de:Ab jetzt … Demokratie durch Volksabstimmung|Democracy by Referendum]]|votes17=28654|seats17=0|votes17_2=1748|seats17_2=0|totseats17=0|sc17=0|color17={{party color|Volksabstimmung}}
|party19=[[Party of Humanists]]|votes19=47526|seats19=0|votes19_2=12672|seats19_2=0|totseats19=0|sc19=0
|party18=[[:de:Rentner Partei Deutschland|Pensioners' Party]]|votes18=25134|seats18=0|votes18_2=920|seats18_2=0|totseats18=0|sc18=0|color18={{party color|Pensioners' Party}}
|party20=[[Alliance C – Christians for Germany]]|votes20=39868|seats20=0|votes20_2=6222|seats20_2=0|totseats20=0|sc20=0
|party19=[[Party of Reason]]|votes19=24719|seats19=0|votes19_2=3861|seats19_2=0|totseats19=0|sc19=New
|party21=[[Bavaria Party]]|votes21=32790|seats21=0|votes21_2=36748|seats21_2=0|totseats21=0|sc21=0
|party20=[[Marxist–Leninist Party of Germany|Marxist–Leninist Party]]|votes20=24219|seats20=0|votes20_2=12904|seats20_2=0|totseats20=0|sc20=0
|party22=[[V-Partei3]]|votes22=31762|seats22=0|votes22_2=10644|seats22_2=0|totseats22=0|sc22=0
|party21=[[Party of Bible-abiding Christians]]|votes21=18542|seats21=0|votes21_2=2081|seats21_2=0|totseats21=0|sc21=0
|party23={{ill|Independents for Citizen-oriented Democracy|de|Unabhängige für bürgernahe Demokratie}}|votes23=22736|seats23=0|votes23_2=13421|seats23_2=0|totseats23=0|sc23=0|color23=#FF9900
|party22=[[Alliance for Innovation and Justice]]|votes22=17743|seats22=0|votes22_2=2680|seats22_2=0|totseats22=0|sc22=New
|party24={{ill|The Greys – For All Generations|de|Die Grauen – Für alle Generationen}}|votes24=17304|seats24=0|votes24_2=1958|seats24_2=0|totseats24=0|sc24=0|color24={{party color|The Grays – For All Generations}}
|party23=[[Bürgerrechtsbewegung Solidarität]]|votes23=12814|seats23=0|votes23_2=17988|seats23_2=0|totseats23=0|sc23=0
|party25=[[Die Urbane. Eine HipHop Partei]]|votes25=17737|seats25=0|votes25_2=1890|seats25_2=0|totseats25=0|sc25=0
|party24=[[Feminist Party of Germany|Feminist Party]]|votes24=12148|seats24=0|totseats24=0|sc24=0
|party26=[[Marxist–Leninist Party of Germany|Marxist–Leninist Party]]|votes26=17819|seats26=0|votes26_2=22538|seats26_2=0|totseats26=0|sc26=0
|party25=[[:de:Partei der Nichtwähler|Party of the Non-voters]]|votes25=11349|seats25=0|totseats25=0|sc25=0|color25=#EC7113
|party27=[[German Communist Party]]|votes27=14951|seats27=0|votes27_2=5446|seats27_2=0|totseats27=0|sc27=0
|party26=[[:de:Rentnerinnen- und Rentner-Partei|Alliance 21/RRP]]|votes26=8578|seats26=0|votes26_2=5324|seats26_2=0|totseats26=0|sc26=0|color26={{party color|Alliance 21/RRP}}
|party28=[[Alliance for Human Rights, Animal and Nature Protection]]|votes28=13672|seats28=0|votes28_2=7371|seats28_2=0|totseats28=0|sc28=0
|party27=[[The Violets (political party)|The Violets]]|votes27=8211|seats27=0|votes27_2=2516|seats27_2=0|totseats27=0|sc27=0
|party29={{ill|European Party Love|de|Europäische Partei Liebe}}|votes29=12967|seats29=0|votes29_2=873|seats29_2=0|totseats29=0|sc29=New|color29=#DC2F28
|party28=[[Family Party of Germany|Family Party]]|votes28=7449|seats28=0|votes28_2=4478|seats28_2=0|totseats28=0|sc28=0
|party30=[[Liberal Conservative Reformers]]|votes30=11327|seats30=0|votes30_2=11003|seats30_2=0|totseats30=0|sc30=New
|party29=[[Socialist Equality Party (Germany)|Party for Social Equality]]|votes29=4564|seats29=0|totseats29=0|sc29=0
|party31=Lobbyists for Children|votes31=9189|seats31=0|totseats31=0|sc31=New|color31=#D1165D
|party30=[[The Right (Germany)|The Right]]|votes30=2245|seats30=0|totseats30=0|sc30=New
|party32=[[Third Way (Germany)|Third Way]]|votes32=7832|seats32=0|votes32_2=515|seats32_2=0|totseats32=0|sc32=New
|party31=[[German Communist Party]]|votes31_2=1699|seats31_2=0|totseats31=0|sc31=0
|party33=[[Garden Party (Germany)|Garden Party]]|votes33=7611|seats33=0|votes33_2=2095|seats33_2=0|totseats33=0|sc33=0|color33=#004800
|party32=[[:De:Bund für Gesamtdeutschland|Federation for a Complete Germany]]|votes32_2=1431|seats32_2=0|totseats32=0|sc32=0|color32=#EDB800
|party34=Citizens' Movement|votes34=7491|seats34=0|votes34_2=1556|seats34_2=0|totseats34=0|sc34=New|color34=#44AAE0
|party33=[[Bergpartei, die "ÜberPartei"]]|votes33_2=624|seats33_2=0|totseats33=0|sc33=New
|party35=[[Democracy in Motion]]|votes35=7184|seats35=0|votes35_2=2609|seats35_2=0|totseats35=0|sc35=0
|party34=NO! Idea|votes34_2=290|seats34_2=0|totseats34=0|sc34=New|color34=#4D4C49
|party36=[[Menschliche Welt]]|votes36=3786|seats36=0|votes36_2=651|seats36_2=0|totseats36=0|sc36=0|color36={{party color|Menschliche Welt}}
|party35=[[Independent politician|Independents]] and voter groups|votes35_2=77306|seats35_2=0|totseats35=0|sc35=0
|party37={{ill|The Pinks/Alliance 21|de|Die Pinken/Bündnis21}}|votes37=3488|seats37=0|votes37_2=373|seats37_2=0|totseats37=0|sc37=New|color37=#E71F71
|invalid=583069|invalid2=684883
|party38=[[Party of Progress (Germany)|Party of Progress]]|votes38=3228|seats38=0|totseats38=0|sc38=New|color38=#F5A419
|total_sc=+9
|party39=[[Socialist Equality Party (Germany)|Socialist Equality Party]]|votes39=1400|seats39=0|totseats39=0|sc39=0
|electorate=61946900|electorate2=61946900
|party40=[[Bürgerrechtsbewegung Solidarität]]|votes40=665|seats40=0|votes40_2=811|seats40_2=0|totseats40=0|sc40=0
|source=[https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2013/ergebnisse/bund-99.html Bundeswahlleiter]
|party41=[[Klimaliste|Klimaliste Baden-Württemberg]]|votes41_2=3967|seats41_2=0|totseats41=0|sc41=New
|party42=[[Family Party of Germany|Family Party]]|votes42_2=1817|seats42_2=0|totseats42=0|sc42=0
|party43={{ill|From now... Democracy by Referendum|de|Ab jetzt … Demokratie durch Volksabstimmung}}|votes43_2=1086|seats43_2=0|totseats43=0|sc43=0|color43={{party color|Volksabstimmung}}
|party44={{ill|Grey Panthers (Germany)|lt=Grey Panthers|de|Graue Panther (Partei)}}|votes44_2=961|seats44_2=0|totseats44=0|sc44=New|color44=#566467
|party45=Thuringian Homeland Party|votes45_2=549|seats45_2=0|totseats45=0|sc45=New|color45=#0083C1
|party46=The Others|votes46_2=251|seats46_2=0|totseats46=0|sc46=New|color46=#BABABA
|party47=[[Bergpartei, die "ÜberPartei"]]|votes47_2=191|seats47_2=0|totseats47=0|sc47=0
|party48=[[Independent politician|Independents]] and voter groups|votes48_2=110875|seats48_2=0|totseats48=0|sc48=0
|invalid=408976|invalid2=488496
|total_sc=+26
|electorate=61172771|electorate2=61172771
|source=[https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2021/ergebnisse/bund-99.html Bundeswahlleiter]
}}
}}
=== Results by state ===
=== Results by state ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;line-height:14px"
Below are second votes (''Zweitstimme''), or votes for party list, by [[States of Germany|state]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/bundestagswahlen/BTW_BUND_13/ergebnisse/landesergebnisse/ |title=The Federal Returning Officer |access-date=24 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925030833/http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/bundestagswahlen/BTW_BUND_13/ergebnisse/landesergebnisse/ |archive-date=25 September 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
! colspan=8| Party list vote share by state<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2021/ergebnisse/bund-99.html|title=Results Germany - The Federal Returning Officer|website=www.bundeswahlleiter.de|access-date=27 September 2021|archive-date=28 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928113624/https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2021/ergebnisse/bund-99.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
|- style="height:40px;"
! class="wikitable sortable" style="width:200px;" rowspan="2"| [[States of Germany|State]]
! class="wikitable sortable" style="width:40px;"| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]
! class="wikitable sortable" style="width:40px;"| [[CDU/CSU|Union]]
! class="wikitable sortable" style="width:40px;"| [[Alliance 90/The Greens|Grüne]]
! class="wikitable sortable" style="width:40px;"| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]
! class="wikitable sortable" style="width:40px;"| [[Alternative for Germany|AfD]]
! class="wikitable sortable" style="width:40px;"| [[The Left (Germany)|Linke]]
! class="wikitable sortable" style="width:40px;" rowspan="2"| Others
|-
|-
! class="wikitable sortable" style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}};"|
! State || [[Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands|CDU]]/[[Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern|CSU]]|| [[Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands|SPD]]|| [[The Left (Germany)|LINKE]]|| [[Bündnis 90/Die Grünen|GRÜNE]]|| [[Freie Demokratische Partei|FDP]]|| [[Alternative für Deutschland|AfD]] || Other
! class="wikitable sortable" style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}};"|
! class="wikitable sortable" style="background:{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}};"|
! class="wikitable sortable" style="background:{{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}};"|
! class="wikitable sortable" style="background:{{party color|Alternative for Germany}};"|
! class="wikitable sortable" style="background:{{party color|The Left (Germany)}};"|
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|Baden-Württemberg}} || '''45.7''' || 20.6 || 4.8 || 11.0 || 6.2 || 5.2 || 6.5
| align="left"| {{flag|Schleswig-Holstein}}
| {{Party shading/SPD}}| '''28.0'''
| 22.0
| 18.3
| 12.5
| 6.8
| 3.6
| 8.7
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|Bavaria}} || '''49.3''' || 20.0 || 3.8 || 8.4 || 5.1 || 4.2 || 9.2
| align="left"| {{flag|Mecklenburg-Vorpommern}} {{efn|(formerly part of [[East Germany]])}}
| {{Party shading/SPD}}| '''29.1'''
| 17.4
| 7.8
| 8.2
| 18.0
| 11.1
| 8.4
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|Berlin}} || '''28.5''' || 24.6 || 18.5 || 12.3 || 3.6 || 4.9 || 7.6
| align="left"| {{flag|Hamburg}}
| {{Party shading/SPD}}| '''29.7'''
| 15.4
| 24.9
| 11.4
| 5.0
| 6.7
| 6.9
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|Brandenburg}} || '''34.8''' || 23.1 || 22.4 || 4.7 || 2.5 || 6.0 || 6.5
| align="left"| {{flag|Lower Saxony}}
| {{Party shading/SPD}}| '''33.1'''
| 24.2
| 16.1
| 10.5
| 7.4
| 3.3
| 5.4
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|Bremen}} || 29.3 || '''35.7''' || 10.1 || 12.1 || 3.4 || 3.7 || 5.7
| align="left"| {{flag|Bremen}}
| {{Party shading/SPD}}| '''31.5'''
| 17.2
| 20.9
| 9.3
| 6.9
| 7.7
| 6.4
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|Hamburg}} || 32.2 || '''32.4''' || 8.8 || 12.6 || 4.8 || 4.1 || 5.1
| align="left"| {{flag|Brandenburg}} {{efn|(formerly part of [[East Germany]])}}
| {{Party shading/SPD}}| '''29.5'''
| 15.3
| 9.0
| 9.3
| 18.1
| 8.5
| 10.3
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|Hesse}} || '''39.2''' || 28.8 || 6.0 || 9.9 || 5.6 || 5.6 || 4.9
| align="left"| {{flag|Saxony-Anhalt}} {{efn|(formerly part of [[East Germany]])}}
| {{Party shading/SPD}}| '''25.4'''
| 21.0
| 6.5
| 9.5
| 19.6
| 9.6
| 8.4
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|Mecklenburg-Vorpommern}} || '''42.5''' || 17.8 || 21.5 || 4.3 || 2.2 || 5.6 || 6.1
| align="left"| {{flag|Berlin}}
| {{Party shading/SPD}}| '''22.2'''
| 17.2
| 22.0
| 8.1
| 9.4
| 11.5
| 9.4
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|Lower Saxony}} || '''41.1''' || 33.1 || 5.0 || 8.8 || 4.2 || 3.7 || 4.1
| align="left"| {{flag|North Rhine-Westphalia}}
| {{Party shading/SPD}}| '''29.1'''
| 26.0
| 16.1
| 11.4
| 7.3
| 3.7
| 6.5
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|North Rhine-Westphalia}} || '''39.8''' || 31.9 || 6.1 || 8.0 || 5.2 || 3.9 || 5.1
| align="left"| {{flag|Saxony}} {{efn|(formerly part of [[East Germany]])}}
| 19.3
| 17.2
| 8.6
| 11.0
| {{Party shading/AfD}}| '''24.6'''
| 9.3
| 9.9
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|Rhineland-Palatinate}} || '''43.3''' || 27.5 || 5.4 || 7.6 || 5.5 || 4.8 || 5.9
| align="left"| {{flag|Hesse}}
| {{Party shading/SPD}}| '''27.6'''
| 22.8
| 15.8
| 12.8
| 8.8
| 4.3
| 7.9
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|Saarland}} || '''37.8''' || 31.0 || 10.0 || 5.7 || 3.8 || 5.2 || 6.5
| align="left"| {{flag|Thuringia}} {{efn|(formerly part of [[East Germany]])}}
| 23.4
| 16.9
| 6.6
| 9.0
| {{Party shading/AfD}}| '''24.0'''
| 11.4
| 8.7
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|Saxony}} || '''42.6''' || 14.6 || 20.0 || 4.9 || 3.1 || 6.8 || 8.0
| align="left"| {{flag|Rhineland-Palatinate}}
| {{Party shading/SPD}}| '''29.4'''
| 24.7
| 12.6
| 11.7
| 9.2
| 3.3
| 9.2
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|Saxony-Anhalt}} || '''41.2''' || 18.2 || 23.9 || 4.0 || 2.6 || 4.2 || 5.9
| align="left"| {{flag|Bavaria}}
| 18.0
| {{Party shading/CDU}}| '''31.7'''
| 14.1
| 10.5
| 9.0
| 2.8
| 13.9
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|Schleswig-Holstein}} || '''39.2''' || 31.6 || 5.2 || 9.4 || 5.6 || 4.6 || 4.4
| align="left"| {{flag|Baden-Württemberg}}
| 21.6
| {{Party shading/CDU}}| '''24.8'''
| 17.2
| 15.3
| 9.6
| 3.3
| 8.2
|-
|-
| align="left"| {{flag|Thuringia}} || '''38.8'''|| 16.1 || 23.4 || 4.9 || 2.6 || 6.2 || 8.0
| align="left"| {{flag|Saarland}}
| {{Party shading/SPD}}| '''37.3'''
| 23.6
| –
| 11.5
| 10.0
| 7.2
| 10.5
|}
|}
<gallery>
File:Btw13 cdu zweit endgueltig.svg|CDU-CSU vote
File:Btw13 spd zweit endgueltig.svg|SPD vote
File:Btw13 gruene zweit endgueltig.svg|Grüne vote
File:Btw13 linke zweit endgueltig.svg|Linke vote
File:Btw13 fdp zweit endgueltig.svg|FDP vote
File:Btw13 afd zweit endgueltig.svg|AfD vote
File:Btw13 piraten zweit endgueltig.svg|Piraten vote
File:Btw13 npd zweit endgueltig.svg|NPD vote
</gallery>
==== Constituency seats ====
==== Constituency seats ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 0.9em;"
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 0.9em;"
! rowspan="3" |State
! rowspan="3" |State
! rowspan="3" |Total<br>seats
! rowspan="3" |Total<br>seats
! colspan="5" |Seats won
! colspan="6" |Seats won
|-
|-
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Christian Social Union in Bavaria|CSU]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Christian Social Union in Bavaria|CSU]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Party of Democratic Socialism (Germany)|Linke]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Alliance 90/The Greens|Grüne]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Alliance 90/The Greens|Grüne]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Alternative for Germany|AfD]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[The Left (Germany)|Linke]]
|-
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|The Left (Germany)}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Alternative for Germany}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|The Left (Germany)}};" |
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Baden-Württemberg]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Baden-Württemberg]]
!38
!38
|38
|1
|
|33
|
|
|4
|
|
|
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Bavaria]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Bavaria]]
!45
!46
|
|
|
|
|45
|45
|1
|
|
|
|
Line 272: Line 931:! style="text-align: left;" |[[Berlin]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Berlin]]
!12
!12
|5
|2
|
|4
|4
|1
|3
|
|3
|
|2
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Brandenburg]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Brandenburg]]
!10
!10
|9
|10
|1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Bremen]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Bremen (state)|Bremen]]
!2
!2
|
|2
|2
|
|
|
|
|
|
Line 296: Line 958:! style="text-align: left;" |[[Hamburg]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Hamburg]]
!6
!6
|1
|4
|5
|
|
|
|2
|
|
|
|
Line 304: Line 967:! style="text-align: left;" |[[Hesse]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Hesse]]
!22
!22
|17
|14
|5
|7
|
|
|1
|
|
|
|
Line 312: Line 976:! style="text-align: left;" |[[Lower Saxony]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Lower Saxony]]
!30
!30
|17
|22
|13
|8
|
|
|
|
|
Line 321: Line 986:!6
!6
|6
|6
|
|
|
|
|
Line 328: Line 994:! style="text-align: left;" |[[North Rhine-Westphalia]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[North Rhine-Westphalia]]
!64
!64
|37
|30
|27
|30
|
|
|4
|
|
|
|
Line 336: Line 1,003:! style="text-align: left;" |[[Rhineland-Palatinate]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Rhineland-Palatinate]]
!15
!15
|14
|8
|1
|7
|
|
|
|
|
Line 345: Line 1,013:!4
!4
|4
|4
|
|
|
|
|
Line 352: Line 1,021:! style="text-align: left;" |[[Saxony]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Saxony]]
!16
!16
|16
|1
|
|4
|
|
|
|
|
|10
|1
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Saxony-Anhalt]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Saxony-Anhalt]]
!9
!9
|9
|4
|
|3
|
|
|
|
|2
|
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Schleswig-Holstein]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Schleswig-Holstein]]
!11
!11
|9
|8
|2
|2
|
|
|1
|
|
|
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Thuringia]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Thuringia]]
!9
!8
|9
|3
|
|1
|
|
|
|
|4
|
|
|- class="sortbottom"
|- class="sortbottom"
! style="text-align: left;" |Total
! style="text-align: left;" |Total
!299
!299
!191
!121
!58
!98
!45
!45
!4
!16
!1
!16
!3
|}
|}
Line 395: Line 1,069:
! rowspan="3" |State
! rowspan="3" |State
! rowspan="3" |Total<br>seats
! rowspan="3" |Total<br>seats
! colspan="5" |Seats won
! colspan="7" |Seats won
|-
|-
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Alliance 90/The Greens|Grüne]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Alternative for Germany|AfD]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Alliance 90/The Greens|Grüne]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Party of Democratic Socialism (Germany)|Linke]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Party of Democratic Socialism (Germany)|Linke]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[Christian Social Union in Bavaria|CSU]]
! class="unsortable" style="width:45px;" |[[South Schleswig Voters' Association|SSW]]
|-
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance 90}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Alternative for Germany}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance 90}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|The Left (Germany)}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|The Left (Germany)}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}};" |
! style="background:{{party color|South Schleswig Voters' Association}};" |
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Baden-Württemberg]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Baden-Württemberg]]
!40
!64
|20
|14
|5
|16
|21
|10
|10
|5
|
|3
|
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Bavaria]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Bavaria]]
!46
!71
|22
|18
|14
|23
|12
|
|
|9
|4
|4
|11
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Berlin]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Berlin]]
!15
!17
|6
|4
|3
|3
|2
|2
|2
|3
|2
|1
|
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Brandenburg]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Brandenburg]]
!10
!15
|4
|2
|2
|
|
|1
|5
|5
|4
|2
|
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Bremen]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Bremen (state)|Bremen]]
!4
!3
|
|2
|1
|1
|1
|1
|
|
|1
|
|
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Hamburg]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Hamburg]]
!7
!10
|
|4
|2
|2
|2
|1
|1
|3
|1
|1
|
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Hesse]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Hesse]]
!23
!28
|11
|8
|4
|7
|1
|5
|5
|5
|3
|3
Line 466: Line 1,158:|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Lower Saxony]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Lower Saxony]]
!36
!43
|12
|13
|14
|8
|6
|4
|4
|6
|10
|3
|
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]
!7
!10
|3
|
|1
|1
|1
|
|3
|3
|3
|2
|
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[North Rhine-Westphalia]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[North Rhine-Westphalia]]
!74
!91
|25
|24
|26
|19
|13
|19
|10
|12
|12
|6
|
|
|- class="sortbottom"
|- class="sortbottom"
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Rhineland-Palatinate]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Rhineland-Palatinate]]
!16
!21
|9
|5
|2
|5
|3
|4
|4
|2
|2
|1
|
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Saarland]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Saarland]]
!5
!5
|3
|
|
|1
|1
|1
|
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Saxony]]
!17
|6
|1
|1
|2
|2
|8
|1
|
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Saxony-Anhalt]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Saxony]]
!10
!22
|4
|4
|5
|7
|
|
|3
|3
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Saxony-Anhalt]]
!9
|1
|1
|5
|2
|1
|2
|1
|2
|
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Schleswig-Holstein]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Schleswig-Holstein]]
!13
!17
|7
|5
|4
|
|2
|2
|3
|4
|1
|1
|1
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Thuringia]]
! style="text-align: left;" |[[Thuringia]]
!9
!11
|1
|2
|2
|1
|2
|3
|3
|
|1
|5
|
|
|-
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Total
! style="text-align: left;" |Total
!332
!437
!135
!102
!64
!91
!62
!85
!60
!67
!11
!54
!36
!1
|}
|}
=== Reactions ===
=== MPs who lost their seat ===
{{main|List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2021 German federal election}}
Incumbent chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] said: "It was a strong vote to take responsibility in Germany, but also in Europe and the world."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.yahoo.com/more-merkel--the-upshot-from-the-german-election-142122721.html |title=More Merkel: The upshot of the German election |work=[[Yahoo! News]] |date=23 September 2013 |access-date=1 October 2013 |first=Marc |last=Young |archive-date=27 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927213246/http://news.yahoo.com/more-merkel--the-upshot-from-the-german-election-142122721.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Peer Steinbrück]] announced his withdrawal from top politics and his intention to focus on his ordinary tasks as a member of parliament.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/press-review-and-news-roundup-on-german-coalition-talks-a-925327.html |title=World From Berlin: Coalition Talks Could Last into January |work=[[Spiegel Online]] |date=30 September 2013 |first=David |last=Crossland |access-date=1 October 2013 |archive-date=30 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930170859/http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/press-review-and-news-roundup-on-german-coalition-talks-a-925327.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
===10 closest constituencies===
== Government formation ==
Incumbents are denoted in bold and followed by ''(I)''.
As in the [[red-baiting]] and [[Red Scare]] campaign ("red socks") during the [[1994 German federal election]], Merkel scared off that the alternative was a left-wing [[red–red–green coalition]] government, since the FDP lost all its seats.<ref name="Ottens 2021">{{cite web|last=Ottens|first=Nick|date=3 September 2021|url=https://euobserver.com/opinion/152799|title=Scholz would be foolish to rule out a left-wing coalition|website=EUobserver|access-date=1 October 2021|archive-date=1 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001033935/https://euobserver.com/opinion/152799|url-status=live}}</ref> Many SPD insiders did not want to work with The Left. One day after the election, Merkel announced that she had already spoken with the SPD but would not rule out other possibilities.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/09/201392495038862444.html |title=Germany's Merkel looks for 'grand coalition' |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |first=Sam |last=Bollier |author-link=Sam Bollier |date=24 September 2013 |access-date=15 December 2013 |archive-date=15 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115083902/http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/09/201392495038862444.html |url-status=live }}</ref> An opinion poll conducted shortly after the election showed that 65% of SPD members were opposed to entering a Merkel-led [[Grand coalition (Germany)|grand coalition]];<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-spd-poll-idUSBRE98Q0QY20130927 |title=Majority of SPD members oppose coalition with Merkel: poll |work=[[Reuters]] |date=27 September 2013 |access-date=1 October 2013 |first1=Michelle |last1=Martin |first2=Gareth |last2=Jones |archive-date=6 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906203441/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-spd-poll-idUSBRE98Q0QY20130927 |url-status=live }}</ref> however, the SPD executive voted to enter coalition talks with the proviso that they would seek a vote from their membership before making a final agreement on entering a coalition.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://main.omanobserver.om/?p=17145 |title=Merkel ally attacks left plan to poll members over tie-up |work=[[Oman Daily Observer]] |date=28 September 2013 |access-date=1 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003143005/http://main.omanobserver.om/?p=17145 |archive-date=3 October 2013}}</ref> The Greens were open to coalition talks with the CDU/CSU,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dw.de/greens-open-to-coalition-talks-with-merkels-cdu/a-17121330 |title=Greens open to coalition talks with Merkel's CDU |work=[[Deutsche Welle]] |date=28 September 2013 |access-date=1 October 2013 |agency=[[Agence France-Press|AFP]], [[Deutsche Presseagentur|dpa]], [[Reuters]] |archive-date=29 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929073958/http://www.dw.de/greens-open-to-coalition-talks-with-merkels-cdu/a-17121330 |url-status=live }}</ref> but CSU leaders said they opposed a coalition with the Greens.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thestar.com.my/News/World/2013/09/24/Merkel-camp-eyes-tieup-with-Social-Democrats-shuns-Greens.aspx |title=Merkel camp eyes tie-up with Social Democrats, shuns Greens |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |date=24 September 2013 |access-date=1 October 2013 |first=Annika |last=Breidthardt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203014038/http://www.thestar.com.my/News/World/2013/09/24/Merkel-camp-eyes-tieup-with-Social-Democrats-shuns-Greens.aspx |archive-date=3 December 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Greens announced they would not consider going into coalition with the Left.<ref name="FT1">{{cite news |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/ab5476ac-2406-11e3-b506-00144feab7de.html#axzz2fjUu6AUF |title=Merkel begins search for coalition partner after election win |work=[[Financial Times]] |date=23 September 2013 |access-date=15 December 2013 |archive-date=30 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130172747/https://www.ft.com/content/ab5476ac-2406-11e3-b506-00144feab7de#axzz2fjUu6AUF |url-status=live }}{{Subscription required}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
Formal talks began in the first week of October when Merkel met SPD leaders on 4 October. She said: "Europe is watching us, the world is watching us. We have the common responsibility to build a stable government." She also planned to hold talks with the Greens the following week.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/10/merkel-set-for-tricky-coalition-talks-201310461129632480.html |title=Merkel, rivals to continue coalition talks |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |agency=[[Reuters]] |date=4 October 2013 |access-date=15 December 2013 |archive-date=15 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115155127/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/10/merkel-set-for-tricky-coalition-talks-201310461129632480.html |url-status=live }}</ref> After five weeks of negotiations that culminated in an all-night session 27–28 November, the CDU/CSU reached agreement with the SPD to form a new coalition government. Issues resolved in the talks included the planned introduction of a minimum hourly wage of €8.50 in 2015 and no new taxes. The deal depended on approval by the SPD rank and file, with a poll set for 6 December.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/merkel-reaches-agreement-to-form-new-german-government-a-935934.html |title=Coalition Deal: Merkel Reaches Agreement on Next Government |work=[[Spiegel Online]] |date=27 November 2013 |first=Daryl |last=Lindsey |access-date=15 December 2013 |archive-date=13 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213193216/http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/merkel-reaches-agreement-to-form-new-german-government-a-935934.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25116115 |title=Deal reached on new government for Germany under Merkel |date=27 November 2013 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=15 December 2013 |archive-date=4 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204190013/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25116115 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/28/world/europe/merkel-and-rivals-strike-deal-on-new-german-government.html?hp&_r=0 |title=German Rivals Reach Pact for Coalition Government |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=27 November 2013 |first1=Alison |last1=Smale |first2=Melissa |last2=Eddy |access-date=15 December 2013 |archive-date=24 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924175809/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/28/world/europe/merkel-and-rivals-strike-deal-on-new-german-government.html?hp&_r=0 |url-status=live }}</ref> On 14 December, 76% of the SPD's members voted for the coalition to go ahead. The [[Third Merkel cabinet]] was sworn in on 17 December.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/12/german-party-clears-way-third-merkel-term-20131214142726226800.html |title=German party clears way for third Merkel term |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |date=15 December 2013 |access-date=15 December 2013 |archive-date=16 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216065633/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/12/german-party-clears-way-third-merkel-term-20131214142726226800.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This grand coalition continued after the [[2017 German federal election]].<ref name="Ottens 2021"/>
|-
! [[List of Bundestag constituencies|Constituency]]
== See also ==
![[States of Germany|State]]
* [[List of German Bundestag constituencies]]
! colspan="2" | Winner
* ''[[Merkel-Raute]]'' – described by ''[[The Guardian]]'' as "probably one of the most recognisable hand gestures in the world", [[Angela Merkel]]'s trademark has become a [[political symbolism|political symbol]] used by both her supporters and opponents.<ref name=guardian>{{cite news|title='Merkel diamond' takes centre stage in German election campaign|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/german-elections-blog-2013/2013/sep/03/angela-merkel-diamond-german-election-campaign|access-date=8 September 2013|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=3 September 2013|archive-date=21 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021230626/http://www.theguardian.com/world/german-elections-blog-2013/2013/sep/03/angela-merkel-diamond-german-election-campaign|url-status=live}}</ref>
! colspan="2" | Runner-up
! Vote difference
== Further reading ==
|-
* Arzheimer, Kai. "The AfD: Finally a successful right-wing populist Eurosceptic party for Germany?." ''West European Politics'' 38.3 (2015): 535–556 [http://repository.essex.ac.uk/14030/1/afd-right-wing-populist-eurosceptic-germany.pdf online]
|[[Dresden II – Bautzen II]]
* Berbuir, Nicole, Marcel Lewandowsky, and Jasmin Siri. "The AfD and its sympathisers: Finally a right-wing populist movement in Germany?." ''German Politics'' 24.2 (2015): 154–178 [http://www.academia.edu/download/39965973/Siri__LewandowskyBerbuir_2014.pdf online]{{dead link|date=July 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}.
|[[Saxony]]
* Faas, Thorsten. "The German federal election of 2013: Merkel’s triumph, the disappearance of the liberal party, and yet another grand coalition." ''West European Politics'' 38.1 (2015): 238–247.
|style="background-color: {{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" |
* Jungherr, Andreas, Harald Schoen, and Pascal Jürgens. "The mediation of politics through Twitter: An analysis of messages posted during the campaign for the German federal election 2013." ''Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication' 21.1 (2016): 50–68. [https://scholar.google.com/scholar?output=instlink&q=info:Oy05puSQEeIJ:scholar.google.com/&hl=en&as_sdt=1,27&as_ylo=2014&scillfp=5270264987246947124&oi=lle online]
|[[Lars Rohwer]], CDU
* Kayser, Mark Andreas, and Arndt Leininger. "A Predictive Test of Voters' Economic Benchmarking: The 2013 German Bundestag Election." ''German Politics'' 25.1 (2016): 106–130. [http://www.academia.edu/download/54770650/BundestagForecastRR151121id.pdf online]{{dead link|date=July 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alternative for Germany}}" |
* Nuernbergk, Christian, et al. "The German Election Campaign 2013." in ''The Routledge companion to social media and politics'' (2015) pp: 419+.
|{{Ill|Andreas Harlaß|de|}}, AfD
* Selb, Peter, and Simon Munzert. "Forecasting the 2013 German Bundestag election using many polls and historical election results." ''German Politics'' 25.1 (2016): 73–83.
|35
* Wüst, Andreas M. "Immigration into Politics: Immigrant-origin candidates and their success in the 2013 Bundestag election." ''German Politics and Society'' 32.3 (2014): 1–15. [https://www.berghahnjournals.com/downloadpdf/journals/gps/32/3/gps320301.pdf online]
|-
* Zeh, Reimar, and Christina Holtz-Bacha. "Internet, Social Medie Use and Political Participation in the 2013 Parliamentary Election in Germany." in ''Political Parties in the Digital Ages. The Impact of New Technologies in Politics'' (2015) pp: 43–57.
|[[Südpfalz]]
|[[Rhineland-Palatinate]]
==Notes==
|style="background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" |
{{Commons category}}
|[[Thomas Hitschler]], SPD
{{notelist}}
|style="background-color: {{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" |
|'''[[Thomas Gebhart]] (I)''', CDU
==References==
|41
{{reflist}}
|-
|[[Steinburg – Dithmarschen Süd]]
==External links==
|[[Schleswig-Holstein]]
*[https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2013/ergebnisse/bund-99.html Official voting results from the Federal Returning Officer]
|style="background-color: {{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" |
|'''[[Mark Helfrich (politician)|Mark Helfrich]] (I)''', CDU
|style="background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" |
|[[Karin Thissen]], SPD
|52
|-
|[[Emmendingen – Lahr]]
|[[Baden-Württemberg]]
|style="background-color: {{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" |
|[[Peter Weiß]], CDU
|style="background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" |
|[[Johannes Fechner]], SPD
|90
|-
|[[Munich West/Centre (electoral district)|Munich West/Centre]]
|[[Bavaria]]
|style="background-color: {{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}" |
|'''[[Stephan Pilsinger]] (I)''', CSU
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}" |
|[[Dieter Janecek]], Grüne
|137
|-
|[[Mansfeld (electoral district)|Mansfeld]]
|[[Saxony-Anhalt]]
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alternative for Germany}}" |
|[[Robert Farle]], AfD
|style="background-color: {{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" |
|'''[[Torsten Schweiger]] (I)''', CDU
|198
|-
|[[Bonn (electoral district)|Bonn]]
|[[North Rhine-Westphalia]]
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}" |
|[[Katrin Uhlig]], Grüne
|style="background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" |
|[[Jessica Rosenthal]], SPD
|216
|-
|[[Leipzig-Land]]
|[[Saxony]]
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alternative for Germany}}" |
|[[Edgar Naujok]], AfD
|style="background-color: {{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" |
|{{Ill|Georg-Ludwig von Breitenbuch|de|}}, CDU
|282
|-
|[[Burgenland – Saalekreis]]
|[[Saxony-Anhalt]]
|style="background-color: {{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" |
|'''[[Dieter Stier]] (I)''', CDU
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alternative for Germany}}" |
|[[Martin Reichardt]], AfD
|321
|-
|[[Hamburg-Eimsbüttel (electoral district)|Hamburg-Eimsbüttel]]
|[[Hamburg]]
|style="background-color: {{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}" |
|[[Till Steffen]], Grüne
|style="background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" |
|'''[[Niels Annen]] (I)''', SPD
|359
|-
|}
=== Irregularities in Berlin leading to repeat elections ===
{{German federal elections}}
[[File:Auszählung Bundestagswahl 2021 in der Messe Berlin 19 34 42 378000.jpeg|thumb|The many postal ballot papers at [[Berlin-Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf]]]]
{{2013 elections in Germany}}
In [[Berlin]], vote casting and counting was not simple as the federal election was on the same day as the [[Berlin Marathon]], the [[2021 Berlin state election]] and a local referendum. The Federal Returning Officer felt compelled to request a report from the State Returning Officer Petra Michaelis.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bundeswahlleiter fordert Bericht zu Berliner Wahlpannen an|url=https://www.stern.de/gesellschaft/regional/bundeswahlleiter-fordert-bericht-zu-berliner-wahlpannen-an--30777040.html|access-date=2021-10-21|website=stern.de|language=de|archive-date=21 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021234909/https://www.stern.de/gesellschaft/regional/bundeswahlleiter-fordert-bericht-zu-berliner-wahlpannen-an--30777040.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
In some polling stations ballot papers were missing or ran out and could not be delivered on the same day due to the [[Berlin Marathon|Berlin marathon]]. Ballot papers (of which there were 115 different variants in Berlin) and postal voting documents were also swapped. Many votes were cast long after the official end of voting at 6 p.m, the last after 8 p.m. when the outcome was already being forecast.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wahlchaos in Berlin: Schaden an der Demokratie|url=https://www.rnd.de/politik/wahl-chaos-in-berlin-pannen-cor
[[Category:2013 elections in Germany]]
[[Category:Federal elections in Germany]]
[[Category:Angela Merkel]]
[[Category:September 2013 events in Germany]]