Germany: Political parties at a glance

Parties in comparison

Liberal
Socialist
Capitalist
Conservative

Explanation of the chart

The graph shows the economic orientation of the parties on the X-axis from left to right. The further left, the more actively the state should intervene via taxes, regulations and redistribution. The further to the right, the less the state should intervene.

On the Y-axis from top to bottom, the parties are categorized according to their life models. The further up a party, the more it prioritizes liberal lifestyles over traditional views and material goods. The further down, the more a party aligns itself with traditional lifestyles and sees the state as the moral authority for living together.

Data was collected through the 2019 Chapel Hill Expert Survey by more than 400 policy experts. Party positions may change over time. Therefore, the chart serves only as an overview and cannot make statements about specific political topics.

Ryan Bakker, Liesbet Hooghe, Seth Jolly, Gary Marks, Jonathan Polk, Jan Rovny, Marco Steenbergen, and Milada Anna Vachudova. 2020. “2019 Chapel Hill Expert Survey.” - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

SPD

Social Democratic Party of Germany
Centre-left
S&D
EU Parliament
16.0
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 25.7%
Part of the Government
The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) is one of the oldest political parties in Germany with over 150 years of history. It advocates for social justice, solidarity, and a fair distribution of wealth. Historically emerged from the labor movement, the SPD has led the federal government several times and implemented significant reforms in areas such as social policy and workers' rights.

Grüne

Alliance ’90/The Greens
Environment & Climate
G/EFA
EU Parliament
13.3
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 14.8%
Part of the Government
Alliance 90/The Greens, short the Greens, is a German political party that advocates for environmental protection, social justice, and a sustainable economy. Founded in 1980, it emerged from the environmental and peace movement. The Greens emphasize the expansion of renewable energies, climate protection, and the promotion of equality. With around 130,000 members, they are among the larger parties in Germany.

CDU/CSU

Christian Democratic Union of Germany
Centre-right
EPP
EU Parliament
29.4
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 24.1%
The CDU (Christian Democratic Union) and the CSU (Christian Social Union) are two independent political parties in Germany that jointly operate as 'the Union'. The CDU is active in all federal states except Bavaria, while the CSU operates exclusively in Bavaria. Both parties represent Christian-democratic and conservative values and have led the federal government multiple times. Historically, they originated in the post-war period and have since had significant influence on German politics.

FDP

Free Democratic Party
Liberal politics
RE
EU Parliament
4.1
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 11.5%
The Free Democratic Party (FDP) is a liberal political party in Germany, founded in 1948. It advocates individual freedom, self-determination, and a free market economy. In the political spectrum, it is positioned between the center and center-right. The FDP has been part of the federal government multiple times and has coalitioned with both the CDU/CSU and the SPD. Most recently, it was part of the so-called traffic light coalition with the SPD and the Greens.

AfD

Alternative for Germany
Right-wing
ESN
EU Parliament
20.8
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 10.3%
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is a conservative party founded in 2013, which is seen by many as right-wing populist. It gained significance through its criticism of the Euro rescue policy and its strict stance on migration. Since 2017, the AfD has been represented in the Bundestag and achieves particularly high election results in East Germany. Its program includes, among other things, skepticism towards the European Union, rejection of the political establishment, and a conservative social policy. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the AfD as a suspected right-wing extremist case, as well as several state associations as securely right-wing extremist.

Die Linke

The Left
Left-wing
LEFT
EU Parliament
4.9
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 4.9%
The Left is a German political party that was formed in 2007 from the merger of the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) and the Electoral Alternative for Labor and Social Justice (WASG). It represents socialist and democratic-socialist positions and advocates for social justice, peace, and ecological sustainability. The Left is represented in the Bundestag as well as in several state parliaments and is committed to a fairer distribution of wealth and resources in Germany.

Südschleswigscher Wählerverband

Southern Schleswig Voters' Association
Regional interests
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0.1%
The South Schleswig Voter Federation (SSW) is a political party in Schleswig-Holstein that has represented the interests of the Danish and Frisian minorities since 1948. As a minority party, the SSW is exempt from the five-percent threshold and advocates for decentralized, citizen-oriented politics that draw on Scandinavian models. In addition to representation in the Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein, the SSW has also been represented in the German Bundestag since 2021.

BSW

Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht
Transversal
?
EU Parliament
4.9
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%
The Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) is a political party founded in January 2024 in Germany, initiated by former Left politician Sahra Wagenknecht. The party positions itself as left-populist with conservative elements and aims for social justice, economic reason, and a peace-oriented foreign policy. BSW criticizes the current climate policy and demands stronger state control over large corporations. Since its founding, the party has achieved significant electoral successes in several East German federal states and is represented in some state parliaments.

Bayernpartei

Bavarian Party
Right-wing
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0.1%
The Bavaria Party (BP) is a political party in Bavaria that advocates for more federalism, direct democracy, and the sovereignty of Bavaria. Founded in 1946, it experienced its heyday in the 1950s with representatives in the German Bundestag and the Bavarian State Parliament. Today, the BP pursues moderated regionalism and aspires for the long-term independence of Bavaria within Europe, based on a democratic referendum.

BÜRGERBEWEGUNG

Civic movement for progress and change
Transversal
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%

BÜRGERBEWEGUNG (Bürgerbewegung für Fortschritt und Wandel) is a party of undefinable orientation from Germany.

Bündnis 21

Bündnis 21
Transversal
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%
BÜNDNIS21, also known as the Pink Party/BÜNDNIS21, is a German small party founded on January 23, 2021. It sees itself as an electoral alliance of various associations, smaller parties, and groups. A central concern of the party is the introduction of political accountability to ensure responsibility for waste of tax funds and the non-prosecution of criminal offenses. To this end, it demands the addition of Articles 266a (embezzlement) and 138a (complicity in office) to the Penal Code. BÜNDNIS21 also advocates for direct democracy, including referendums on the abolition of laws and removals from office within the government. The party positions itself as liberal-conservative and in the political center.

Bündnis C

Bündnis C – Christen für Deutschland
Unknown
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0.1%
Alliance C - Christians for Germany is a Christian democratic small party that was founded in 2015 through the merger of the Bible-Faithful Christians party and the AUF - Party for Labor, Environment, and Family. The party is programmatically oriented towards the Apostolic Creed as well as the Bible and advocates for politics based on Christian principles. Its focuses lie in family and social policy, emphasizing traditional values. Alliance C is a member of the European Christian Political Movement and is active at the state, federal, and European level.

Bürgerrechtsbewegung Solidarität

Bürgerrechtsbewegung Solidarität
Unknown
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%

Bürgerrechtsbewegung Solidarität is a party from Germany.

DKP-DRP

Deutsche Konservative Partei – Deutsche Rechtspartei
Right-wing
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%
The German Conservative Party – German Right Party (DKP-DRP) was a far-right political party in the British occupation zone of Germany after World War II. Founded on March 22, 1946, by the merger of the German Reconstruction Party and the German Conservative Party, it aimed to connect to the tradition of the German National People's Party (DNVP) from the Weimar Republic. The DKP-DRP existed until 1950 and then merged into the German Reich Party (DRP).

Demokratie in Bewegung

Demokratie in Bewegung
Unknown
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%

Demokratie in Bewegung is a party from Germany.

Die Grauen

Die Grauen – Für alle Generationen
Unknown
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%
The Grays – For All Generations is a German minor party founded in 2017 that sees itself as a cross-generational political force. It considers itself in the tradition of the earlier movement Gray Panthers, but does not focus exclusively on seniors, but on social justice for all age groups. Its political priorities include, among other things, the introduction of a legal minimum pension, the reduction of the retirement age, and the improvement of care standards. Despite its efforts, the party has so far achieved no significant electoral successes and is not represented in any German parliament.

Die Heimat

The home
Far right
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0.1%
The Homeland, formerly known as the National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), is a far-right minor party in Germany. Founded in 1964, it renamed itself to The Homeland in June 2023. The party is classified as extremist by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and aims for a fundamental system change. In January 2024, the Federal Constitutional Court decided to exclude The Homeland from state party funding for six years due to its intention to undermine the free democratic basic order.

Die PARTEI

Party for Labour, Rule of Law, Animal Protection, Promotion of Elites and Grassroots Democratic Initiative
Satire
NI
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 1%
The PARTEI (Party for Work, Rule of Law, Animal Protection, Elite Promotion and Grassroots Democratic Initiative) is a small German party founded in 2004 by editors of the satirical magazine Titanic. It uses satirical means to criticize political grievances and raise awareness of social issues. Despite its satirical approach, it actively participates in elections and was able to win two seats in the European Parliament in the 2019 European elections. Its chairman is Martin Sonneborn.

Die Urbane

Die Urbane. Eine HipHop Partei
Unknown
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%
The Urban. A HipHop Party is a small party founded in Berlin in 2017 that translates the values of hip-hop culture into politics. It advocates for social justice, anti-racism, decolonization, and environmental protection. Its goals include the introduction of a universal basic income, the legalization of cannabis, and withdrawal from NATO. So far, the party has not been able to win mandates in parliaments.

Freie Wähler

Free Voters
Centre-right
RE
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 2.4%
The Free Voters are a political party in Germany that emerged from local voter communities. They are particularly successful in Bavaria and have been part of the state government since 2018. They position themselves between conservative and liberal parties and value regional autonomy and direct democracy. Their politics are pragmatic and focus on local concerns.

Gartenpartei

Gartenpartei
Unknown
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%

Gartenpartei is a party from Germany.

Gleichheitspartei

Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei, Vierte Internationale
Unknown
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%
The Socialist Equality Party, Fourth International (SGP) is a small Trotskyist party in Germany. It was founded in 1971 as the League of Socialist Workers and renamed in 1997 to Party for Social Equality before adopting its current name in 2017. The SGP considers itself in the tradition of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and Rosa Luxemburg and is the German section of the International Committee of the Fourth International. Its goal is to unite the international working class and reshape society according to socialist principles. The party is classified as left-extremist and monitored by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

III. Weg

The Third Way
Far right
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%
The III. Path is a far-right and neo-Nazi minor party in Germany, founded in 2013. It represents ethnic-nationalist and anti-Semitic positions and is monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The party is primarily active in southern Germany and has about 800 members nationwide. Its 10-point program demands, among other things, Germany's withdrawal from NATO and the EU, as well as the creation of a 'European Confederation'.

LIEBE

Europäische Partei LIEBE
Unknown
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%

LIEBE (Europäische Partei LIEBE) is a party from Germany.

LKR

Liberal-Conservative Reformers
Centre-right
ECR
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%

LKR (Liberal-Konservative Reformer) is a center-right party from Germany.

Lobbyisten für Kinder

Party for children, youth and families - lobbyists for children
Transversal
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%

Lobbyisten für Kinder (Partei für Kinder, Jugendliche und Familien - Lobbyisten für Kinder) is a party of undefinable orientation from Germany.

MENSCHLICHE WELT

Menschliche Welt – für das Wohl und Glücklichsein aller
Unknown
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%
The party HUMAN WORLD was founded in 2013 in Germany and advocates for a politics that places the well-being of all people, animals, and nature at the center. Its focuses are on peace politics, ecological sustainability, social justice, and the promotion of mindfulness and meditation. The party aims for a decentralized common good economy and emphasizes the importance of ethical leadership. In past elections, it has achieved only a small share of the votes.

MLPD

Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany
Far left
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%
The Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany (MLPD) is a communist minor party founded in 1982. It is oriented towards the teachings of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, and Mao Zedong and aims for a revolutionary change of society towards genuine socialism. The MLPD is classified as left-extremist and monitored by the Constitutional Protection Agency.

Partei der Humanisten

Humanist Party
Unknown
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0.1%
The Humanist Party (PdH) is a small party founded in 2014 in Germany that advocates for rational, liberal, and progressive politics. Its focus is on secularization, science, and individual self-determination. The PdH aims for a fact-based politics that continuously aligns with new scientific findings and operates without reference to religions, ideologies, or dogmas. It participated, among other elections, in the federal elections of 2017 and 2021 and the European elections of 2019 and 2024.

Partei des Fortschritts

Party of progress
Liberal politics
NI
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%
The Party of Progress (PdF) is a political party founded in 2020 in Cologne, Germany. It positions itself as a grassroots democratic alternative to traditional parties and emphasizes ideology-free, scientifically based policy-making. The PdF advocates for digitization, social market economy, environmental and climate protection as well as progressing European integration. In the 2024 European elections, it achieved 0.6% of the votes and entered the European Parliament with one representative.

Partei für Verjüngungsforschung

Rejuvenation Research Party
Transversal
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0.1%
The Party for Rejuvenation Research, formerly the Party for Health Research, is a German minor party that advocates for the accelerated development of rejuvenation therapies. Its goal is to prevent age-related diseases and enable people to lead an indefinitely long, healthy life. The party focuses exclusively on this issue and leaves other political areas to coalition partners.

Piratenpartei

Pirate Party Germany
Centre-left
G/EFA
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0.4%
The Pirate Party Germany, founded in 2006 in Berlin, advocates for civil rights, data protection and transparent politics. It demands reforms in copyright, free knowledge exchange and more direct democracy. Its greatest success was achieved in 2011 with its entry into the Berlin House of Representatives. In recent years, however, the party has lost political significance.

Team Todenhöfer

Team Todenhöfer - The Justice Party
Transversal
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0.5%
Team Todenhöfer - The Justice Party was founded by Jürgen Todenhöfer in November 2020. The party is committed to reducing bureaucracy, ending all foreign deployments of the German armed forces and banning arms exports to crisis regions. It achieved 0.5% of the vote in the 2021 Bundestag elections. The party also calls for term limits for politicians and the abolition of church tax.

Tierschutzallianz

Allianz für Menschenrechte, Tier- und Naturschutz
Unknown
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%

Tierschutzallianz (Allianz für Menschenrechte, Tier- und Naturschutz) is a party from Germany.

Tierschutzpartei

Animal Welfare Party
Animal Protection
LEFT
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 1.5%
The Party for Human, Environment and Animal Protection, known as the Animal Protection Party, was founded in 1993 and advocates for animal protection, environmental protection, and social justice. It demands, among other things, the inclusion of animal rights in the Basic Law, a ban on animal testing and factory farming, as well as the promotion of plant-based nutrition. The party is represented in all 16 federal states with state associations and has continuously held a mandate in the European Parliament since 2014.

UNABHÄNGIGE

Unabhängige für bürgernahe Demokratie
Unknown
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0%
The 'Independents for Citizen-Oriented Democracy' (short name: INDEPENDENTS) are a small German party that advocates for independent individual candidates and direct democracy. Founded in 2002 in Kaufbeuren, its focus is on citizen participation through popular initiatives and referendums at the federal level. The party supports citizens in candidacies for political offices, with the respective election programs determined by the candidates themselves.

V-Partei³

V-Partei³ - Partei für Veränderung, Vegetarier und Veganer
Unknown
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0.1%
The V-Party³ (Party for Change, Vegetarians and Vegans) is a small German party founded in 2016, which advocates for animal rights, environmental protection, and a plant-based lifestyle. Its goal is to promote organic-vegan agriculture and to advance the exit from animal husbandry. The party also calls for an unconditional basic income and a strengthening of the EU Parliament. In the 2024 European elections, it ran for the first time but was unable to win any mandates.

Volt

Volt
Centre-left
G/EFA
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0.4%
Volt Germany is a social-liberal and pro-European party that advocates for a deepened European integration and federal structures. Founded in 2018 as part of the pan-European movement Volt Europa, it aims for reforms in areas such as climate protection, digitization, and social justice. In the 2024 European elections, Volt Germany achieved 2.6% of the votes and won three seats in the European Parliament.

die Basis

Basic Democratic Party Germany
Unknown
?
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 1.4%
The Basis-Democratic Party of Germany, short dieBasis, was founded in July 2020 and emphasizes basis-democratic principles. It emerged in the context of protests against the COVID-19 measures and is considered the political arm of the 'Querdenken' movement. The party advocates for freedom, mindfulness, power limitation, and collective intelligence. In the federal election of 2021, it received 1.4% of the votes but failed to enter the Bundestag.

ÖDP

Ecological Democratic Party
Environment & Climate
EPP
EU Parliament
?
Election Trend
Result of the last parliamentary election: 0.2%
The Ecological-Democratic Party (ÖDP) is a small German party that emerged from the ecological movement in 1981. It focuses on environmental and family policy, criticism of growth, and the promotion of direct democracy. The ÖDP rejects corporate donations and advocates for a sustainable economic approach. It is particularly active at the local level in Bavaria, where it was able to secure a mandate in the European Parliament for the first time in 2014.