2009 German federal election

2009 German federal election
← 2005 27 September 2009 (2009-09-27) 2013 →
All 622 seats in the Bundestag, including 24 overhang seats
312 seats needed for a majority
Registered62,168,489 (Increase 0.5%)
Turnout70.8% (Decrease 6.9pp)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Angela Merkel 2009a (cropped).jpg
Frank-Walter Steinmeier 20090902-DSCF9761.jpg
Westerwelle hamm 2009 ankunft.jpg
Candidate Angela Merkel Frank-Walter Steinmeier Guido Westerwelle
Party CDU/CSU SPD FDP
Last election 35.2%, 226 seats 34.2%, 222 seats 9.8%, 61 seats
Seats won 239 146 93
Seat change Increase 13 Decrease 76 Increase 32
Popular vote 14,658,515 9,990,488 6,316,080
Percentage 33.8% 23.0% 14.6%
Swing Decrease 1.4pp Decrease 11.2pp Increase 4.8pp
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
German Left leadership 2009.jpg
German Greens leadership 2009.jpg
Candidate Gregor Gysi &
Oskar Lafontaine 		Jürgen Trittin &
Renate Künast
Party Left Greens
Last election 8.7%, 54 seats 8.1%, 51 seats
Seats won 76 68
Seat change Increase 22 Increase 17
Popular vote 5,155,933 4,643,272
Percentage 11.9% 10.7%
Swing Increase 3.2pp Increase 2.6pp
The left side shows constituency winners of the election by their party colours. The right side shows party list winners of the election for the additional members by their party colours.
Government before election

First Merkel cabinet
CDU/CSU–SPD

Government after election

Second Merkel cabinet
CDU/CSU–FDP

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Federal elections were held in Germany on 27 September 2009 to elect the members of the 17th Bundestag.[1]

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) won the election, and the three parties formed a new centre-right government with Angela Merkel as chancellor. While CDU/CSU's share of votes decreased slightly, it was more than compensated by the gains of their "desired coalition partner", the liberal FDP, that won the strongest result in its history.

CDU and CSU's former partner in the "Grand coalition", the Social Democratic Party (SPD) led by Frank-Walter Steinmeier, conceded defeat[2] after dropping by more than 11 percentage points, receiving its hitherto worst result since the end of the Second World War (only undercut in 2017).

At 69.8 percent, the voter turnout was the lowest in a German federal election since 1949.

  1. ^ "Der Wahltermin für die Bundestagswahl 2009". Der Bundeswahlleiter. Archived from the original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  2. ^ "Merkel's rival concedes defeat in German election". The Telegraph. London. 27 September 2009. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2009.