German parties will form new governing grand coalition
Nearly six months on from last year’s national elections, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will finally form a new government with a parliamentary mandate, after Social Democrat party members agreed to … Continue reading
Germans might try minority government for a while
Government-formation negotiations flowing from September’s national Bundestag election in Germany is proving difficult, with talks over a three-party coalition collapsing earlier this month. Current Chancellor Angela Merkel had been seeking … Continue reading
Elections highlight role of PR in coalition-building
Overnight election results in Austria and the north German state of Lower Saxony have highlighted the impact of proportional representation systems in forcing political parties to form joint governments. Voting … Continue reading
Final German election for 2017 may buck right-ward swing
After three earlier state elections and a dramatic federal election, the northwestern German state of Lower Saxony rounds out the nation’s 2017 electoral year this Sunday. And the signs are … Continue reading
Dutch, Germans, Kiwis edge towards governments
Government formation in nations using party list proportional representation is proceeding at very different rates in three countries which held elections during 2017. The Dutch, which held their parliamentary elections … Continue reading
Bundestag expands by over 100 seats
One extraordinary result of Sunday’s election in Germany is that the Bundestag will expand by over 100 seats to ensure that each of seven political parties has a strictly proportional … Continue reading
Germans elect complex six-party parliament
Angela Merkel will remain as Chancellor of Germany, but Sunday’s Bundestag elections have seen a historically strong result for the nation’s minor political parties. The combined popular vote share of … Continue reading
Double-header weekend for MMP voting system
This weekend sees a unique alignment of the world’s two nations that elect their parliaments by the MMP voting system, with elections in both New Zealand and Germany. Post-war Germany … Continue reading
National parliamentary elections for the remainder of 2017
After a quiet few months, a round of national parliamentary elections starting in coming days will highlight a number of the world’s electoral systems. The election of the Storting of … Continue reading
Third good state result for German right
Germany’s centre-right Christian Democrat Union party has come first in the third of three German state elections in recent months – welcome news for national chancellor Angela Merkel. North Rhine-Westphalia … Continue reading
On Elections 