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On 24 September, Germans will elect a new federal government. Current polls give Angela Merkel and her Christian Democrats (the CDU, and their sister party the CSU) 39% – a comfortable lead of 15% over her current coalition partner and prime electoral competitor, the Social Democrats (SPD) – yet too little to govern alone. While Merkel has ruled out the far-left (Die Linke) and far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as possible coalition partners, she has refused to declare which partner she would favour between the SPD, the Greens, and the Free Democrats (FDP). Under Germany’s electoral system, coalitions are all but inevitable.
Whomever she picks, her coalition partner(s) will inevitably influence her government, including its stance on Europe and Brexit negotiations. So far, the CDU has kept a strict line on Brexit. It has prioritised the integrity of the single market, the rights of EU citizens in the UK, and the continued unity of the remaining EU27. It is unlikely to abandon these goals. Once the terms of British departure are sufficiently clarified, however, the CDU will need to establish more concrete positions on how it sees the future relationship between Europe, Germany and the UK. It will need to agree these positions with its coalition partner. Between free trade-sceptical Greens, Euro-federalist SPD, and business-friendly FDP, the UK should carefully watch the election results and the coalition building process.
British-minded free democrats?
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.
The FDP’s leader, Christian Lindner, has warned against punishing the UK during Brexit negotiations. Germany has “an interest in a strong and economically prosperous Great Britain,” he emphasised in June, adding that a weakened UK would also leave Europe worse off. [...]
Jamaica and the Greens
Despite their origins as a left-wing environmentalist party, the Greens (currently polling at 8%) have moved increasingly to the centre of Germany’s political landscape and have become a realistic coalition partner for the CDU/CSU. [...]
The Greens could prove disadvantageous to the UK, particularly regarding the negotiation of a post-Brexit trade relationship. The Greens strongly oppose trade agreements including TTIP, CETA and JEEPA, as well as the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), due to concerns over social and environmental protections, and democratic accountability. Similar concerns are likely to be raised during trade negotiations between the EU and UK.
The Schulz factor
Although Merkel is now far ahead in the polls, Martin Schulz and his SPD are still in the running. [...]
His party, the Social Democrats, are sceptical of joining another ‘grand coalition’ as the junior member, blaming coalition for the SPD’s stark decline in popularity over the last four years. (A problem familiar to British Liberal Democrats). Schulz himself is a seasoned Euro-federalist and former president of the European Parliament. He takes a hard position on Brexit, and will not want to be seen giving any ground to London. Under him, the SPD has taken on a visibly more pro-European attitude than the CDU, a position that is likely to manifest itself in future negotiations.
The possible outcome which would make Germany the most difficult negotiation partner for the UK is, fortunately, also the least likely: an entirely leftist coalition of the SPD, Greens and Die Linke, generally referred to as red-red-green or R2G. [...]
Much ado about nothing?
Will the German elections really make that much difference to Brexit negotiations? Many have pointed to Berlin’s core interest of keeping the EU politically and economically united. And it is true that, as long as the German government is centred on either the CDU or SPD, the country will identify its national interests in accordance with the European project.
Brexit is not a major electoral issue in Germany – and was not raised during the Merkel/Schulz debate. [...]
Germany’s role in shaping the agreement between the UK and EU will be crucial. [...]