19 parties active in Germany today, biggest at the last election first. Click a card for its history.
Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands
1945–present
Germany's main centre-right party. It runs in every state except Bavaria, where its sister party, the CSU, stands instead; in the Bundestag the two sit together as CDU/CSU (the Union).
Alternative für Deutschland
2013–present
Right-wing populist party founded in 2013 as a eurosceptic party; the second-largest party in the Bundestag since 2025.
Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands
1863–present
Germany's oldest party, the main centre-left party since the Federal Republic began.
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
1980–present
Green party formed in 1993 when the West German Greens (1980) merged with the East German Bündnis 90; the two ran separately in 1990, and are shown together here.
Die Linke
1990–present
Left-wing party, successor of the PDS (itself the successor of East Germany's ruling SED), which merged with the western WASG in 2007.
Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern
1945–present
The CDU's sister party, standing only in Bavaria. It forms one group with the CDU in the Bundestag.
Bündnis Soziale Gerechtigkeit und Wirtschaftliche Vernunft
2024–present
Founded in 2024 as the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht, after she left Die Linke, and renamed in 2025 (keeping the BSW initials); missed the Bundestag in 2025 with 4.98% of the vote.
Freie Demokratische Partei
1948–present
Liberal party, in many federal governments as the smaller partner; out of the Bundestag in 2013 and again in 2025.
Freie Wähler
2009–present
Federal party of the Free Voters, the local voters' associations; strongest in Bavaria.
Partei Mensch Klima Tierschutz
1993–present
Animal protection party.
Volt Deutschland
2018–present
German branch of the pan-European party Volt.
Die PARTEI
2004–present
Satirical party founded by editors of the magazine Titanic.
Basisdemokratische Partei Deutschland
2020–present
Founded in 2020 out of the protests against the COVID-19 measures.
Südschleswigscher Wählerverband
1948–present
Party of the Danish and Frisian minorities in Schleswig-Holstein; as a minority party it is exempt from the 5% threshold.
Ökologisch-Demokratische Partei
1982–present
Small ecological party, strongest in Bavaria.
Piratenpartei Deutschland
2006–present
Pirate party; won seats in four state parliaments around 2011-2012.
Bayernpartei
1946–present
Bavarian regionalist party, in the first Bundestag.
Die Republikaner
1983–present
Right-wing party, strongest around 1989-1994.
Deutsche Zentrumspartei
1870–present
Catholic party of the Empire and the Weimar Republic; small after 1949, mostly overtaken by the CDU.
Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands
1964–2023
Far-right party; nearly entered the Bundestag in 1969 with 4.3%. Renamed Die Heimat in 2023.
Deutsche Partei
1947–1961
Conservative party from Lower Saxony, part of Adenauer's governments until 1960.
Gesamtdeutscher Block/Bund der Heimatvertriebenen und Entrechteten
1950–1961
Party of Germans expelled from the east after the Second World War; in Adenauer's second government.
Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands
1918–1956
Communist party, in the first Bundestag; banned by the Constitutional Court in 1956.
Wirtschaftliche Aufbau-Vereinigung
1945–1953
Bavarian party of the post-war years, in the first Bundestag.
Deutsche Reichspartei
1946–1965
Nationalist party (1949 as DKP-DRP, in the first Bundestag); merged into the NPD in 1964.
Deutsche Friedens-Union
1960–1984
Left-wing pacifist party of the 1960s.
Independents
1949–1953
Candidates without a party; three won constituencies in 1949.