The 2025 German Bundestag elections, which took place last month, saw a dramatic collapse among the incumbent parties: the SPD, the Greens, and the Free Democrats (FDP). These failures were not a freak result; they were the direct result of years of neoliberal governance, poor decision-making, and a crisis of legitimacy within the ruling establishment. The FDP, on a wave after the last election and a key member of the coalition, failed to meet the 5% vote share threshold to earn any seats in the Bundestag, a very Progressive Democrats end for the German version of the Progressive Democrats.
Christian Lindner’s leadership had been marked by incompetence and reckless brinksmanship, most notably in the collapse of the government. Rather than using his position as Finance Minister to push meaningful policy, Lindner sabotaged his own coalition from within. His obsession with pandering to his “finance bro” base and railing against social spending eroded the party’s credibility. In the end, his tactical blunders, most notably forcing an early election in the midst of global instability, sealed his party’s fate.
But the collapse of the FDP is just one part of the picture. The SPD and Greens, already weakened by years of compromise and acquiescence to the forces of capital, faced a voter backlash. They were punished for their complicity in austerity measures, their inability to provide tangible improvements for the working class, and their failure to address the concerns of ordinary Germans such as inflation. The SPD, despite being the largest party in the outgoing coalition, lost nearly 10% of its vote share, while the Greens saw their support slip to a meagre 11.6%.
Into this void, the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) surged to historic heights, becoming the second-largest force in the Bundestag. The AfD’s rise is a direct consequence of the deepening disillusionment among working-class voters, abandoned by the SPD and Greens, and increasingly open to the far-right’s xenophobic and nationalist rhetoric. This is no mere protest vote. The AfD’s 20.8% support reflects a realignment in German politics, a pivot toward a dangerous, resurgent nationalism.
But the key consequence of this election is the return of the Christian Democrats (CDU) to power. While they remain the largest party, it is important to note that the CDU has also seen a significant decline. Despite their first-place finish, this is one of the CDU’s worst-ever results, a sobering reminder of the deepening crisis of German conservatism, and an echo of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s diminishing results back home. Their leader, Friedrich Merz, has signaled a shift toward a more independent foreign policy, one that distances Germany from its U.S. overlords and looks to forge a new European defense initiative, potentially pooling nuclear resources with France and the UK. This is the next step in Germany’s ever-deepening militarisation and shift to the right, as Merz’s rhetoric on immigration and his collaboration with the AfD on anti-migrant measures reveals.
The new government will most likely be a coalition between the CDU and SPD, but it could also involve the Greens. Regardless of the makeup, however, the policies will remain largely unchanged. Tax cuts for the wealthy, further militarization, and a continuation of conservative spending will dominate, with little to address the dire needs of the working class. What we are witnessing is not a new chapter in German politics, but a continuation of the same failed neoliberal agenda that has bled the country dry.
In the face of all this, only one sector of the economy is showing any growth: the military-industrial complex. With the automotive industry in decline, defence companies like Rheinmetall are stepping in to absorb displaced workers, doing deals during factory closures to convert trade union workers from auto parts to armaments, and converting auto factories into military manufacturing hubs. This is military Keynesianismin action: a desperate attempt to keep the economy afloat through arms production. The result is a dangerous, reactionary economic strategy, one that sacrifices the future of Germany’s workers in the name of war and imperialist ambition and does nothing to tackle the structural weaknesses besetting the German industrial model.
As the AfD inches closer to mainstream power, Germany’s left-wing forces, such as Die Linke, are under pressure to offer an alternative. While the party has gained traction, especially among young women, and garnered its third-best result ever — it remains to be seen whether it can break free from the grip of faddism and social democracy to provide a genuine alternative to the reactionary forces rising in Germany. The rise of the far-right is not a passing phase, and only a committed, revolutionary left can prevent the country from falling into fascism.
