Germany's New Parliament Convenes After Election, Bringing Major Shifts in Power

Germany's federal election on February 23 has brought significant change to the political landscape. The end of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left government marks a new era as Friedrich Merz of the CDU is poised to take the helm as chancellor. Julia Klöckner, previously Germany's agriculture minister under Angela Merkel, has been selected to serve as the Bundestag president, a role critical in managing parliamentary procedures. With the AfD gaining significant influence as a far-right party, Klöckner faces challenges maintaining decorum given the notable increase in parliamentary warnings primarily attributed to AfD actions. The rise of the AfD, now the second-largest party in the Bundestag, reflects broader European trends of growing far-right influence, posing challenges for coalition building. Throughout, coalition talks between the CDU/CSU and SPD reveal a landscape fraught with political divides over issues including taxes, social welfare, and migration policy. Despite these hurdles, Merz has expressed optimism about forming a cohesive government. An illustrative factor in the shifting representative dynamics is that the Bundestag remains somewhat misaligned with national demographics, particularly in gender and youth representation. This session started with a contentious landscape as both leftist and far-right parties control a significant portion of the seats, presenting potential roadblocks in crafting constitutional changes or affirming national policies. The evolving narrative in Germany underscores the broader European context where political extremities converge and evolve.