When is the German election 2017 and what time will we know the result?

When is the German election 2017
and what time will we know the
result?
Angela Merkel and Martin Shulz
By Justin Huggler
22 SEPTEMBER 2017 • 2:47PM
Germany votes next month in the last in
a series of elections in key Western
countries. The polls are predicting an
easy win for Angela Merkel , who is trying to
secure a historic fourth term as chancellor.
But after shock results saw the rise of
political outsiders Donald Trump in the US
and Emmanuel Macron in France, Britain’s
vote to leave the EU and Theresa May left
clinging to power in Britain less than a year
later, nothing can be taken for granted.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald
Trump during the 2017 G20. CREDIT: AFP
When is is the 2017 German
election?
German elections are always held on a
Sunday, and this year the country votes on
September 24. Exit polls are quick and
highly accurate, and we should have a
pretty clear idea of who has won shortly
after voting ends. But the business of
coalition building can take much longer,
and it could be weeks or even months
before a new government is formed.
How does the German electoral
system work?
Germany has a parliamentary system, like
the UK, and like our Prime Minister, the
chancellor is the leader who can control a
majority in parliament. The system is very
similar to the British one: there is no US-
style electoral college, and no second round
as in France.
The one key difference is Germany’s
proportional representation system, which
makes absolute majorities rare. This means
the struggle to secure power doesn’t end on
election night: that’s when the hard work of
forming a coalition begins.
As in the UK, the leader of the party which
wins the most seats gets the first
opportunity to build a government.
The German Bundestag, the national parliament of
the Federal Republic of Germany. CREDIT: REUTERS
Who are the key parties and
leaders?
At 63, Mrs Merkel is the “last woman
standing” of a generation of Western
leaders. When she first came to power, in
2005, Tony Blair was Prime Minister and
George W Bush was US president.
Mrs Merkel has led her centre-right
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party to
three straight election victories, and is
looking for a fourth. One confusing detail is
that the CDU doesn’t field candidates in
Bavaria, but instead campaigns jointly with
its more conservative Bavarian sister party,
the Christian Social Union (CSU) . The two
parties automatically go into coalition
together, and any seats the CSU wins count
towards Mrs Merkel’s tally. They are
currently leading the polls on around 40 per
cent.
The main challenger is Martin Schulz, the
61-year-old former president of the
European parliament. An EU ideologue and
staunch Brexit opponent, Mr Schulz was
hailed as the man who could take on Mrs
Merkel when he became leader of the
centre-left Social Democrat party (SPD) in
March, but his challenge has faded since,
and the party is polling around 23 per cent.
Born:
Profile | Martin Schulz
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
President of the European Parliament
20 December 1955
From: Grew up in Hehlrath, Germany, close to
the German-Dutch-Belgian borders
Early years: After high school took an
apprenticeship as a bookseller and opened his
own book shop in Würselen which he ran for 12
years
Political career: Joined the Social Democratic
Party of Germany at the age of 19. At 31, he
was elected the youngest mayor of North
The rival CDU and SPD are currently in
coalition together, but are fighting against
each other in the election. Both say they do
not want a repeat of the current “grand
coalition”.
The anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany
party (AfD) was seen as the main threat to
Mrs Merkel for much of last year. But
support for the party has plummeted in the
polls amid infighting and a series of high-
profile gaffes. Björn Höcke, a senior party
figure, caused outrage earlier this year
when he called for Germany to stop feeling
guilty for the crimes of the Nazis. Following
that. Frauke Petry, the party’s popular
leader, was sidelined in an internal coup
earlier this year, and replaced by two joint
chancellor candidates: Alexander Gauland,
a divisive figure from the far-Right of the
party, and the less well known Alice Weidel.
The party’s support has dropped to just
nine per cent in the polls.
Other parties to watch for include the
liberal Free Democrat Party (FDP), who were
in coalition with Mrs Merkel from 2009 to
2013 and are thought to remain her
preferred partner. The party is making
something of a comeback since losing all its
seats in 2013, and is currently at around
eight per cent in the polls.
The Left Party, a potential coalition partner
for Mr Schulz, are currently also polling
around eight per cent, as are the Greens,
who could go into coalition with either of
the major parties.
What is at stake in this election?
It is no exaggeration to say this election
could have a serious impact on the future of
Europe. While the choices are not as
dramatic as in the French election — none
of the parties advocate a “Dexit” —
Germany is the EU’s biggest economy and
pre-eminent power.
German influence has increased in recent
years, to the extent that Berlin often seems
the real centre of power, not Brussels. Since
his election, Mr Macron has openly courted
Mrs Merkel in a bid to re-energise the
Franco-German axis that once dominated
the EU, and secure her support for far-
reaching reforms that could lead to much
deeper integration.
In the wake of turbulent rhetoric from Mr
Trump, Mrs Merkel has declared Europe
must take responsibility for its own future ,
which some have seen as a sign she is ready
to press ahead with a European army.
Angela Merkel in pictures:
A look back at the German
Chancellor's career
View Gallery
Will Angela Merkel remain as
Chancellor?
The polls certainly indicate she will — but
after the polls got Brexit and the US and
British elections wrong, no one is taking
victory for granted, least of all Mrs Merkel.
That said, she has made a remarkable
comeback since her support crumbled in the
wake of her controversial “open-door”
refugee policy two years ago. With her
personal approval ratings back at levels
usually only enjoyed by “African dictators”,
in the words of Spiegel magazine, Mrs
Merkel has proved that you write her off at
your peril.
Still, the feeling persists that a new major
terror attack, or a repeat of the Cologne
New year sex attacks of two years ago could
derail her campaign.
Born:
Profile | Angela Merkel
CREDIT: AFP
Chancellor of Germany
17 July 1954
Nickname: Mutti (“Mommy”)
Education: Physics at the University of Leipzig,
Doctorate in Quantum Chemistry at German
Academy of Sciences, Berlin
Early career: Research scientist, before
entering politics after the German reunification
Party politics: The Christian Democratic Union,
Germany’s centre-right party
Time in office: Leader since 2005 and is
running again in 2017
Did you know? Ms Merkel’s trademark hand
What will happen if she loses?
If Mrs Merkel loses it will be the end of an
era, but Germany would probably carry on
much as before. The only man who has a
realistic chance of beating her is Mr Schulz,
according to the polls, and while they differ
on certain issues, the two are actually
remarkably similar. The head of one of the
country’s main polling institutes described
Mr Schulz as “Merkel with a beard” earlier
this year.
In that sense, the German election is very
different from those in France, where the
gulf between Mr Macron and the anti-EU
Marine Le Pen was much wider, or the US,
where Mr Trump pledged to overturn much
of his predecessor’s legacy — even if he
hasn’t actually done so yet. Mrs Merkel and
Mr Schulz are much closer in both
temperament and policy terms than Mrs
May and Jeremy Corbyn.
The extremes have failed to break through
to the mainstream in Germany. The Left
Party, which wants a hard-left agenda
similar to Mr Corbyn’s, remains a minor
party polling less than 10 per cent. The far-
Right AfD has even less impact, because all
the other parties have vowed not to go into
coalition with it, meaning its only route to
power would be a highly unlikely absolute
majority — and it’s only on nine per cent.
In some ways, it’s a sort of election that has
become old-fashioned, with the two main
parties fighting to occupy the centre
ground. Mr Schulz wants to spend more on
social security than Mrs Merkel. She wants
to spend more on defence than he does. But
they agree on an overall direction for the
country.
Why should Britain care about the
result?
The election could have a significant impact
on Brexit, and on the sort of deal Britain
can secure. Germany is the most powerful
voice in the EU, and it has traditionally
been one of the UK’s closest allies within the
bloc. Mrs Merkel has made it clear she will
not compromise on certain key issues such
as freedom of movement. But she is seen in
Westminster as a pragmatist who will look
to secure the best deal for Germany and the
EU, and who is not interested in
“punishing” Britain.
Mr Schulz, by contrast, is an EU ideologue
who owes his political career to Brussels
and spent most of it there. As president of
the European parliament, he made his
opposition to Brexit clear. Last year he
threatened to impose the “hardest Brexit
possible” if the parliament was not given a
say in negotiations. While he has not
indicated whether he will continue to follow
this line now he has moved into German
politics, a Schulz victory would be viewed
with nervousness by some in Westminster.
More generally, Germany is one of the UK’s
most important trading partners, and
Britain has a vested interest in a stable
German economy. Germany is also a key
Nato ally, taking part in international air
operations against Islamic State, and a vital
part of the alliance’s bulwark against
Russian aggression in Europe.

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