German Federal Elections

The Federal Republic of Germany is a parliamentary democracy. German voters elect the members of one house of parliament, the Bundestag, which in turn elects the head of government, the federal chancellor. The chancellor forms the government, or cabinet. If no single party wins a majority, two or more parties form a coalition, which then elects the chancellor. Unlike the U.S. structure, where the president’s party does not necessarily hold majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate, a German chancellor must have a majority in the Bundestag to govern. Hence, the crucial result of a German federal election is which party wins the majority of seats in the Bundestag.

Information adapted from the website of the German Embassy in Washington, DC.