The End of a Belle Époque: Stability and Risks in Germany’s Elections

... has a potential for conflict. Ivan Timofeev: Russia — Germany: Perceptions and Motives It turns out that the CDU needs a coalition of three parties. The centrist Free Democratic Party (FDP) claims 10–11% of the vote and could either balance the Greens, or boost the coalition with the CDU/CSU and the SPD to the required majority. The first option was already considered 4 years ago and the negotiations did not lead to success, despite the political weight of Merkel, which Laschet does not have. FDP leader Christian Lindner is not the easiest negotiator ...