Berlin, Feb 23 (V7N) – Voting for Germany's Bundestag elections, one of Europe's most significant political events, is currently underway. Polling stations opened at 8 AM local time and will remain open until 6 PM.

As soon as voting concludes, preliminary results or exit polls will be published between 6 PM and 6:30 PM on Sunday. However, the final results, including postal votes, may take several days to be officially confirmed.

Key Issues Shaping the Election

According to a recent ARD-Deutschlandtrend survey, the biggest concern among German voters is immigration, with 37% of respondents identifying it as a critical issue—a 14% increase from last month. Other major topics influencing voters include:

  • State of the economy
  • Armed conflicts & foreign policy
  • Climate change & environmental protection
  • Inequality, poverty & education
  • Terrorism & crime
  • Pension system & inflation
  • Healthcare

The survey also indicates that concerns about Germany’s economic situation have slightly decreased in recent weeks.

Chancellor Selection and Government Formation

While exit polls will provide an early indication of the election outcome, forming a new government could take weeks or even months due to Germany's complex coalition-building process.

Once the final election results are confirmed, political parties will engage in negotiations to form a coalition government. If successful, the Federal President will nominate a candidate for Chancellor, who must then be elected by the Bundestag (parliament) before assuming office.

Given the current political landscape, the formation of a stable coalition government is expected to be a time-consuming process.

END/RH/AJ