Parties and coalitions: who rules whom

Germany is coalition country: one party rarely hits 50%. Main players: CDU/CSU (conservatives), SPD (social democrats), Grüne (ecologists), FDP (liberals), Linke, AfD (populists — in Bundestag but excluded from federal coalitions). After elections negotiations begin — “Jamaica”, “Ampel”, “GroKo” — color combos. The chancellor is elected by Bundestag, not directly by the people.

• ●Coalition contract = “agreement for 4 years”: read it as the government program
• ●Chancellor = head of government, Bundespräsident = head of state (ceremonial)
• ●State elections matter equally: Länder run schools, police, construction