List of political parties in Germany facts for kids
The Federal Republic of Germany has many different political parties. This means that people can choose from a variety of groups that have different ideas about how the country should be run. The biggest parties, based on how many members they have and how many seats they win in parliament, are the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), its partner party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).
Other important parties in Germany include the Free Democratic Party (FDP), Alliance 90/The Greens, and The Left. More recently, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) was started in 2013.
Often, Germany's government is formed by a coalition, which is when two or more parties work together. For example, the CDU/CSU might team up with the FDP, or the SPD might work with the FDP or the Greens. Sometimes, the two biggest parties, the CDU/CSU and the SPD, form a "grand coalition" to govern the country.
Political parties in Germany are often linked to specific colors. The Social Democratic Party uses red, Alliance 90/The Greens use green, and the Free Democratic Party uses yellow. The Left party uses purple (though red is also sometimes used for them). The AfD uses light blue, and the CDU and CSU use black and blue.
Germany's Main Political Parties Today
This section lists the main political parties that have members in the Bundestag (Germany's parliament) or the European Parliament.
Party Name | Short Name | Main Leaders | What They Believe In | Where They Stand | Members in the Bundestag | Members in the European Parliament | European Group | Number of Members | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Social Democratic Party of Germany Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands |
SPD | Lars Klingbeil, Saskia Esken |
Helping people in society, supporting Europe |
Centre-left |
206 / 735
|
16 / 96
|
S&D | 379,861 | ||
Christian Democratic Union of Germany Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands |
CDU | Friedrich Merz | Christian values, traditional ideas, supporting Europe |
Centre-right |
152 / 735
|
23 / 96
|
EPP | 371,986 | ||
Christian Social Union in Bavaria Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern |
CSU | Markus Söder | Christian values, traditional ideas, focus on Bavaria |
Centre-right |
45 / 735
|
6 / 96
|
EPP | 132,000 | ||
Alliance 90/The Greens Bündnis 90/Die Grünen |
GRÜNE | Ricarda Lang, Omid Nouripour |
Protecting the environment, social freedom, supporting Europe |
Centre-left |
118 / 735
|
21 / 96
|
Greens/EFA | 126,451 | ||
Free Democratic Party Freie Demokratische Partei |
FDP | Christian Lindner | Freedom for individuals, free markets, supporting Europe |
Centre-right |
91 / 735
|
5 / 96
|
RE | 73,000 | ||
Alternative for Germany Alternative für Deutschland |
AfD | Tino Chrupalla, Alice Weidel |
Focus on national interests, less support for Europe |
Far-right |
80 / 735
|
9 / 96
|
ID | 34,000 | ||
The Left Die Linke |
LINKE | Martin Schirdewan, Janine Wissler |
Fairer society, helping working people |
Left-wing |
28 / 735
|
4 / 96
|
GUE/NGL | 54,214 | ||
Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht BSW |
BSW | Sahra Wagenknecht, Amira Mohamed Ali |
Fairer society, traditional social values |
Left-wing |
10 / 735
|
0 / 96
|
- | 450 | ||
South Schleswig Voters' Association Südschleswigscher Wählerverband |
SSW | Christian Dirschauer | Social freedom, local issues, supporting Danish and Frisian minorities |
Centre-left |
1 / 735
|
0 / 96
|
Greens/EFA | 3,216 | ||
Free Voters Freie Wähler |
FW | Hubert Aiwanger | Traditional freedom, local issues, some doubts about Europe |
Centre-right |
0 / 735
|
2 / 96
|
RE | 6,225 | ||
Die PARTEI Partei für Arbeit, Rechtsstaat, Tierschutz, Elitenförderung und basisdemokratische Initiative |
Die PARTEI | Martin Sonneborn | Political jokes, human rights, environmental protection, supporting Europe |
Left-wing |
0 / 735
|
1 / 96
|
- | 51,078 | ||
Ecological Democratic Party Ökologisch-Demokratische Partei |
ÖDP | Christian Rechholz | Protecting the environment, traditional values |
Centre-right |
0 / 735
|
1 / 96
|
Greens/EFA | 8,035 | ||
Pirate Party Germany Piratenpartei Deutschland |
PIRATEN | Anne Herpertz | Digital rights, direct democracy, social freedom, united Europe |
Centre-left |
0 / 735
|
1 / 96
|
Greens/EFA | 5,541 | ||
Volt Germany Volt Deutschland |
Volt | Lara Neumann, Tim Marton | Social freedom, stronger Europe, united Europe |
Centre-left |
0 / 735
|
1 / 96
|
Greens/EFA | 4,000 | ||
Alliance Germany Bündnis Deutschland |
BD | Steffen Große | Traditional ideas | Centre-right to right-wing |
0 / 735
|
1 / 96
|
ECR | 1,000 | ||
Family Party of Germany Familien-Partei Deutschlands |
Familie | Helmut Geuking | Traditional family values, Christian values |
Centre-right to right-wing |
0 / 735
|
1 / 96
|
EPP | 705 |
Regional Parties in State Parliaments
These parties are only in one state parliament, called a Landtag.
Party Name | Short Name | Main Leaders | What They Believe In | Where They Stand | Members in State Parliament | State | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brandenburg United Civic Movements/Free Voters Brandenburger Vereinigte Bürgerbewegungen / Freie Wähler |
BVB/FW | Péter Vida | Focus on local issues |
5 / 88
|
Brandenburg | |||
Citizens for Thuringia Bürger für Thüringen |
BfTh | Ute Bergner | Focus on national interests | Right-wing |
2 / 90
|
Thuringia |
Other Smaller Parties
Germany has many other smaller parties. Here are some of them:
Party Name | Short Name | Main Leaders | What They Believe In | Where They Stand | European Group | Number of Members | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alliance C – Christians for Germany Bündnis C – Christen für Deutschland |
Bündnis C | Karin Heepen & Ole Steffes | Traditional values, Christian beliefs |
Right-wing | ECPM | 1,078 | ||
Alliance for Innovation and Justice Bündnis für Innovation und Gerechtigkeit |
BIG | Haluk Yildiz | Islamic political ideas | 2,000 | ||||
Alliance of German Democrats Allianz Deutscher Demokraten |
AD-Demokraten | Ramazan Akbaş | Traditional ideas, Islamic political ideas |
2,500 | ||||
Anarchist Pogo Party of Germany Anarchistische Pogo-Partei Deutschlands |
APPD | Peter Vehreschild | Satire (making fun of politics) | Not political | 2,512 | |||
Arminius – Association of the German People Arminius – Bund des deutschen Volkes |
Arminius – Bund | Johann Thießen | Interests of Germans from Russia, German national pride |
Far-right | 40 | |||
Basic Income Alliance Bündnis Grundeinkommen |
BGE | Martin Sonnabend | Universal basic income (money for everyone) | Focus on one issue | 350 | |||
Bavaria Party Bayernpartei |
BP | Florian Weber | Self-rule for Bavaria, Bavarian national pride, traditional ideas |
Centre-right | EFA | 3,926 | ||
German Centre Party Deutsche Zentrumspartei |
ZENTRUM | Christian Otte | Christian values, traditional ideas |
Centre-right | 300 | |||
Citizen for Progress and Change Bürger für Fortschritt und Wandel |
BFW | Uwe Hück | Focus on progress | Centre-left | 170 | |||
Civil Rights Movement Solidarity Bürgerrechtsbewegung Solidarität |
BüSo | Helga Zepp-LaRouche | Ideas from the LaRouche movement | Mixed ideas | 556 | |||
Communist Party of Germany Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands |
KPD | Torsten Schöwitz | Communism (all property owned by the community) | Far-left | 165 | |||
Democratic Alliance for Diversity and Awakening Demokratische Allianz für Vielfalt und Aufbruch |
DAVA | Teyfik Ozcan | Interests of the Turkish minority, supporting Erdoğan's ideas |
|||||
Democracy in Motion Demokratie in Bewegung |
DiB | Julia Beerhold, Alexander Plitsch | Fairer society | Left-wing | 224 | |||
European Party Love Europäische Partei Liebe |
LIEBE | United Europe, supporting marriage |
53 | |||||
Feminist Party The Women Feministische Partei Die Frauen |
DIE FRAUEN | Renate Schmidtsdorff-Aicher | Equal rights for women | 400 | ||||
Free Saxons Freie Sachsen |
FS | Martin Kohiman | Supporting the Saxon region, monarchy ideas |
Right-wing to Far-right | 1,200 | |||
From Now on... Democracy Through Referendum Ab jetzt … Demokratie durch Volksabstimmung |
Volksabstimmung | Helmut Fleck | People voting directly on laws, national pride |
Right-wing | 350 | |||
Garden Party Gartenpartei |
Gartenpartei | Roland Zander | Supporting gardens, environmental protection |
349 | ||||
German Centre Deutsche Mitte |
DM | Sven Hüther | Focus on national interests, against vaccines |
Right-wing | 500 | |||
German Conservatives Deutsche Konservative |
Deutsche Konservative | Dieter Jochim | Traditional ideas, focus on national interests |
Centre-right to right-wing | 380 | |||
German Communist Party Deutsche Kommunistische Partei |
DKP | Patrik Köbele | Communism (all property owned by the community) | Far-left | 2,850 | |||
German Party – The Liberals Deutsche Partei – Die Freiheitlichen |
DP | Gerd-Uwe Dahlmann | Traditional national ideas, German national pride |
Right-wing | 250 | |||
German Social Union Deutsche Soziale Union |
DSU | Roberto Rink | Traditional national ideas, traditional social values |
Right-wing | 1,060 | |||
Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany Basisdemokratische Partei Deutschland |
dieBasis | Reiner Fuellmich, Viviane Fischer | Against COVID-19 rules, against vaccines |
24,000 | ||||
Party Human Environment Animal protection Partei Mensch Umwelt Tierschutz |
Tierschutzpartei | Aida Spiegeler Castaneda Marcel Krohn Robert Gabel |
Animal rights, environmental protection |
APEU | 2,400 | |||
Marxist–Leninist Party of Germany Marxistisch-Leninistische Partei Deutschlands |
MLPD | Gabi Fechtner | Marxism-Leninism (a type of communism) | Far-left | 2,800 | |||
MERA25 MERA25 |
Julijana Zita | Progressive ideas, Green New Deal, united Europe, direct democracy |
DiEM25 | |||||
National Democratic Party of Germany Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands |
NPD | Lennart Schwarzbach | Neo-Nazism (extreme right-wing ideas) | Far-right | ||||
New Strength Party Neue Stärke Partei |
NSP | Sara Storch, Christoph Thews | Neo-Nazism (extreme right-wing ideas) | Far-right | ||||
Party for Franconia Partei für Franken |
DIE FRANKEN | Robert Gattenlöhner | Focus on the Franconia region | 237 | ||||
Party for Biomedical Rejuvenation Research Partei für schulmedizinische Verjüngungsforschung |
Verjüngungsforschung | Felix Werth | Focus on medical research for aging | Focus on one issue | 289 | |||
Party of Humanists Partei der Humanisten |
PdH | Lasse Schäfer | Humanism (focus on human values), no religion in government, civil liberties, social freedom |
2,300 | ||||
Party of Reason Partei der Vernunft |
PDV | Friedrich Dominicus | Individual freedom, less support for Europe |
Right-wing | EPIL | 352 | ||
Socialist Equality Party Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei |
SGP | Ulrich Rippert | Trotskyism (a type of communism) | Far-left | 276 | |||
The Justice Party – Team Todenhöfer Die Gerechtigkeitspartei – Team Todenhöfer |
Jürgen Todenhöfer | Against war, popular ideas |
5,314 | |||||
The Grays – For all Generations Die Grauen – Für alle Generationen |
Die Grauen | Michael Schulz | Fairness between generations | 135 | ||||
The Homeland Die Heimat |
HEIMAT | Frank Franz | Neo-Nazism (extreme right-wing ideas), extreme nationalism, against immigration |
Far-right | APF | 3,000 | ||
The III. Path Der III. Weg |
III. Weg | Matthias Fischer | Neo-Nazism (extreme right-wing ideas), strong German nationalism, against Europe |
Far-right | 642 | |||
The New Democrats Die neuen Demokraten |
Focus on safety | |||||||
The Libertarians Die Libertären |
DIE LIBERTÄREN | Julian Schloddarick | Individual freedom, free markets |
|||||
The Party of Sorbians die partei der sorben |
PDS | Lars Krause | Political jokes, Sorbian independence, against war |
|||||
The Republicans Die Republikaner |
REP | Tilo Schöne | German national pride, traditional national ideas, against Europe |
Right-wing | 4,533 | |||
The Right Die Rechte |
Die RECHTE | Christian Worch | Neo-Nazism (extreme right-wing ideas), extreme nationalism, against immigration |
Far-right | 550 | |||
The Urbans. A HipHop Party Die Urbane. Eine HipHop Partei |
du | Niki Drakos, Raphael Hillebrand | Social fairness, environmental protection |
303 | ||||
The Violets Die Violetten |
Die Violetten | Irene Garcia Garcia | Spiritual ideas, direct democracy, environmental protection |
678 | ||||
Us Citizen Wir Bürger |
LKR | Jürgen Joost | Traditional freedom, free markets, some doubts about Europe |
Centre-right to right-wing | ECR Party | 1,000 | ||
V-Partei³ – Party for Change, Vegetarians and Vegans V-Partei³ – Partei für Veränderung, Vegetarier und Veganer |
V³ | Roland Wegner | Animal rights, environmental protection |
1,200 | ||||
Values Union WerteUnion |
WU | Hans-Georg Maaßen | Traditional freedom, national traditional ideas, free markets |
Right-wing | 4,000 | |||
WiR2020 WiR2020 |
W2020 | Wolfgang Romberg, Sonja Früh | Against vaccines, against COVID-19 rules |
4,600 |
Past Political Parties in Germany
This section looks at some political parties that no longer exist.
Parties in West Germany (after 1949)
Logo | Name | Short Name | What They Believed In | When They Started | When They Ended | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All-German Bloc/League of Expellees and Deprived of Rights Gesamtdeutscher Block/Bund der Heimatvertriebenen und Entrechteten |
GB/BHE | Traditional national ideas, helping Germans who were forced to leave their homes |
1950 | 1961 | Joined the DP | ||
All-German People's Party Gesamtdeutsche Volkspartei |
GVP | Against joining Western countries, Christian values, against war, staying neutral |
1952 | 1957 | Joined the SPD | ||
Christian Centre Christliche Mitte — Für ein Deutschland nach GOTTES Geboten |
CM | Traditional national ideas, Christian traditional values |
1988 | 2016 | Still exists as a discussion group | ||
Communist League of West Germany Kommunistischer Bund Westdeutschland |
KBW | Maoism (a type of communism) | 1973 | 1985 | |||
Communist Party of Germany Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands |
KPD | Communism (all property owned by the community) | 1918 | 1956 | Banned in 1956 | ||
Free German Workers' Party Freiheitliche Deutsche Arbeiterpartei |
FAP | Neo-Nazism (extreme right-wing ideas) | 1979 | 1995 | Banned in 1995 | ||
German Party Deutsche Partei |
DP | German national pride, traditional national ideas, supporting a king |
1947 | 1961 | |||
German People's Union Deutsche Volksunion |
DVU | German national pride, traditional national ideas |
1971/87 | 2011 | Joined the NPD | ||
German Social Union Deutsch-Soziale Union |
DSU | Strasserism (a type of nationalism) | 1956 | 1962 | |||
Labour and Social Justice – The Electoral Alternative Arbeit und soziale Gerechtigkeit – Die Wahlalternative |
WASG | Fairer society, supporting workers |
2005 | 2007 | Joined The Left | ||
Party of Democratic Socialism Partei des Demokratischen Sozialismus |
PDS | Fairer society, popular ideas |
1989 | 2007 | Joined The Left | ||
Socialist Reich Party Sozialistische Reichspartei Deutschlands |
SRP | Neo-Nazism (extreme right-wing ideas) | 1949 | 1952 | Banned in 1952 | ||
The Blue Party Die blaue Partei |
Blaue #TeamPetry | Traditional national ideas, national freedom, against Europe |
2017 | 2019 | Split from the AfD | ||
Union of Free Citizens Bund freier Bürger |
BFB | National freedom, popular ideas |
1994 | 2000 |
Parties in East Germany (1949-1990)
East Germany was a separate country with its own political system.
Group | Logo | Name | Short Name | What They Believed In | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Front | Socialist Unity Party of Germany Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschland |
SED | Communism (all property owned by the community) | The main ruling party, later became the PDS | |||
Christian Democratic Union of Germany Christlich-Demokratische Union Deutschlands |
CDUD | Christian values, traditional social ideas |
Joined the CDU | ||||
Liberal Democratic Party of Germany Liberal-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands |
LDPD | Social freedom | Some parts joined the Association of Free Democrats | ||||
Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany Demokratische Bauernpartei Deutschlands |
DBD | Helping farmers | Joined the CDUD | ||||
National Democratic Party of Germany National-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands |
NDPD | Traditional ideas, national traditional ideas, socialism |
Joined the FDP |
During the Change (1989–90)
During the time when East Germany was changing and before it reunited with West Germany, some new groups formed.
Alliance | Logo | Name | Short Name | What They Believed In | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alliance 90 | Democracy Now Demokratie Jetzt |
DJ | Fairer society | Joined Alliance 90/The Greens | ||||
|
Initiative for Peace and Human Rights Initiative für Frieden und Menschenrechte |
IFM | Against communism | |||||
New Forum Neues Forum |
NF | Progressive ideas | ||||||
Alliance for Germany | Christian Democratic Union of Germany Christlich-Demokratische Union Deutschlands |
CDUD | Christian values, traditional social ideas, against communism |
Joined the CDU | ||||
Democratic Beginning Demokratischer Aufbruch |
DA | Freedom-based democracy, Christian values |
Joined CDUD | |||||
German Social Union Deutsche Soziale Union |
DSU | Traditional national ideas, Christian values, traditional social ideas |
Still exists today | |||||
Association of Free Democrats | Liberal Democratic Party of Germany Liberal-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands |
LDPD | Freedom for individuals | Joined the FDP | ||||
German Forum Party Deutsche Forumpartei |
DFP | Freedom for individuals | ||||||
Free Democratic Party Freie Demokratische Partei |
FDP | Freedom for individuals | ||||||
Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany Demokratische Bauernpartei Deutschlands |
DBD | Helping farmers | Joined CDUD | |||||
Green Party Grüne Partei |
Die Grünen | Protecting the environment | Joined Alliance 90/The Greens | |||||
National Democratic Party of Germany National-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands |
NDPD | Middle-ground ideas, national freedom |
Joined the FDP | |||||
Social Democratic Party in the GDR Sozialdemokratische Partei in der DDR |
SPD | Helping people in society | Joined the SPD | |||||
Socialist Unity Party of Germany━Party of Democratic Socialism Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands━Partei des Demokratischen Sozialismus |
SED-PDS | Fairer society | Later renamed to PDS | |||||
United Left Vereinigte Linke |
VL | Communism, fairer society |
Parties in the Saar Protectorate (1947-1956)
The Saar Protectorate was a special area after World War II, separate from Germany for a while.
Name | Short Name | What They Believed In | When They Were Active | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Christian People's Party of Saarland Christliche Volkspartei des Saarlandes |
CVP | Christian values, traditional ideas |
1946–1959 | Later joined the CDU | |
Communist Party of Saarland Kommunistische Partei Saar |
KP | Communism (all property owned by the community) | 1945–1957 | Similar to the KPD | |
Democratic Party of Saarland Demokratische Partei des Saarlandes |
DPS | Traditional freedom, traditional national ideas |
1946–1957 | Later joined the FDP | |
Social Democratic Party of Saarland Sozialdemokratische Partei des Saarlandes |
SPS | Helping people in society, fairer society |
1946–1956 | Similar to the SPD |
Parties in the Weimar Republic (1918-1933)
The Weimar Republic was Germany's government between World War I and the rise of the Nazis.
Logo | Name | Short Name | What They Believed In | Where They Stood | When They Were Active | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bavarian People's Party Bayerische Volkspartei |
BVP | Catholic beliefs in politics, Bavarian local issues, traditional ideas, supporting a king |
Right-wing | 1918–1933 | |||
Centre Party Deutsche Zentrumspartei |
Zentrum | Christian values, Catholic beliefs in politics |
Centre to centre-right | 1870– | |||
Communist Party of Germany Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands |
KPD | Communism (all property owned by the community) | Far-left | 1918–1956 (West Germany) 1918–1946 (East Germany) |
Banned in West Germany, joined with another party in East Germany | ||
German Democratic Party Deutsche Demokratische Partei |
DDP | Social freedom, progressive ideas |
Centre-left | 1918–1930 | |||
German National People's Party Deutschnationale Volkspartei |
DNVP | Supporting a king, early fascism ideas, traditional national ideas, German national pride |
Right-wing to Far-right | 1918–1933 | |||
German People's Party Deutsche Volkspartei |
DVP | National freedom, traditional freedom, free markets, supporting a king |
Centre-right | 1918–1933 | |||
German Workers' Party Deutsche Arbeiterpartei |
DAP | German national pride, community focus |
Far-right | 1919–1920 | This party later became the Nazi Party | ||
Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands |
USPD | Fairer society, peace |
Left-wing | 1917–1931 | |||
National Socialist German Workers' Party Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei |
NSDAP | National Socialism (an extreme, harmful ideology) | Far-right | 1920–1945 |
Parties Founded Before World War I (Before 1914)
These parties existed before the first big world war.
Name | Short Name | What They Believed In | When They Were Active | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bavarian Peasants' League | BB | Helping farmers | 1893–1933 | |
Centre Party | Zentrum | Christian values | 1870– | |
General German Workers' Association | ADAV | Helping people in society, fairer society |
1863–1875 | |
German Fatherland Party | DVLP | German national pride, supporting a king, military strength |
1917–1918 | |
Social Democratic Party of Germany | SPD | Helping people in society | 1875–present |
Images for kids
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German Democratic Party (2004).png
Logo of the German Democratic Party (ddp)