Monday 11 Sep 2017 @ 15:38
Open Europe
Open Europe
![]() |
How the German elections may affect Brexit
German federal elections in late September are likely to see Angela Merkel enter her fourth term as chancellor, yet without a majority big enough to govern alone. Open Europe’s Leopold Traugott assesses the possible outcomes of the election, and how they may influence Berlin’s position in negotiations over Brexit and future UK-EU relations.
The best likely outcome the UK can hope for would be a coalition of the CDU/CSU and Free Democrats (FDP). There have already been eight such coalitions at federal level since 1949, and with recent polls putting their combined vote share at 46-49%, it is entirely an realistic possibility.