Description
Book Synopsis Elections always have consequences, but the 2017 Bundestag election in Germany proved particularly consequential. With political upheaval across the globe—notably in Britain and the USA—it was vital to European and global order that Germany remain stable. And it did through the re-election of Angela Merkel as chancellor, now in her fourth term. Just under the surface, however, instability is mounting—exemplified by the entry of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) as the largest opposition party, the decline of the Social Democrats, the ever-restive Bavarians, and the growing factionalism within the Christian Democratic Union as the Merkel era comes to an end. Paying special attention to the rise of the AfD, this volume delves into the campaign, leading political figures, the structure of the electorate, the state of the parties, the media environment, coalition negotiations, and policy impacts.
Trade Review “The volume should not only be of interest to an international audience, but also fertilize the German-language discourse due to its specific thematic composition and international perspective.” • Zeitschrift für Parlamentsfragen
Table of Contents Introduction: Merkeldämmerung
Eric Langenbacher
Chapter 1. Coalition Politics in Crisis? The German Party System Before and After the 2017 Federal Election
Frank Decker and Philipp Adorf
Chapter 2. Pointing Fingers at the Media? Coverage of the 2017 Bundestag Election
Alexander Beyer and Steven Weldon
Chapter 3. LGBTI Rights and the 2017 German National Election
Louise K. Davidson-Schmich
Chapter 4. Kan-di(e)-dat? Unpacking Gender Images across Angela Merkel’s Four Campaigns for the Chancellorship, 2005–2017
Joyce Marie Mushaben
Chapter 5. The CDU/CSU’s Ambivalent 2017 Campaign
Clay Clemens
Chapter 6. Yet Another Grand Coalition: The Social Democrats at the Crossroads
Andreas M. Wüst
Chapter 7. The Race for Third: Small Parties in the 2017 Bundestag Election
David F. Patton
Chapter 8. Two of the Same Kind? The Rise of the AfD and its Implications for the CDU/CSU
Matthias Dilling
Chapter 9. The AfD and the End of Containment in Germany?
David Art
Chapter 10. Radical Right-Wing Populists in Parliament: The Alternative for Germany in European Context
Lars Rensmann
Chapter 11. Antisemitism in the “Alternative for Germany” Party
Samuel Salzborn
Chapter 12. The Left Party and the AfD: Populist Competitors in Eastern Germany
Jonathan Olsen
Chapter 13. Germany’s Aussenpolik After the Election
Stephen F. Szabo
Chapter 14. Germany's Role in the EU-27 Leadership Constellation after Brexit
Christian Schweiger
Conclusion: Looking Beyond Merkel
Eric Langenbacher
