World Elections
ENRU
DashboardCalendarMapLiveCountriesMy countriesCompareThis week
Countries / Europe
DEU

Elections in Germany

parliamentary republic

Elections in Germany: the next vote, who holds power now, and the country's election history. The next one is the German presidential election on 30 January 2027. Head of government is Friedrich Merz; the system of government is parliamentary republic.

Next election
German presidential election - 30 January 2027
Election details →
Advertisement
FM
Friedrich Merz live
Head of government - Christian Democratic Union
In office since
6 May 2025
Party
Christian Democratic Union
Head of state
Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Region
Europe
Advertisement
Next election
German presidential election
30 January 2027
Government
parliamentary republic
Capital
Berlin
Population
83 577 140
Country facts
Legislature
Bundesrat
Established
1949
Currency
Q4916
Official language
German
Capital
Berlin
Region
Europe
Area
357,587 km2
Advertisement
Election history
23 February 2025parliamentary
13 February 2022
German presidential election
won: Frank-Walter Steinmeier
presidential
26 September 2021parliamentary
24 September 2017parliamentary
12 February 2017
German presidential election
won: Frank-Walter Steinmeier · turnout 99.4%
presidential
22 September 2013parliamentary
18 March 2012
German presidential election
won: Joachim Gauck · turnout 99.7%
presidential
30 June 2010
German presidential election
won: Christian Wulff
presidential
27 September 2009parliamentary
23 May 2009presidential
Presidential winner & turnout from Wikidata; parliamentary winners omitted (Wikidata data unreliable).
Power transferspeacefulcontestedirregular
2025 - Olaf Scholz Friedrich Merz
peaceful - no coup recorded
2021 - Angela Merkel Olaf Scholz
peaceful - no coup recorded
2005 - Gerhard Schröder Angela Merkel
peaceful - no coup recorded
1998 - Helmut Kohl Gerhard Schröder
peaceful - no coup recorded
1982 - Helmut Schmidt Helmut Kohl
peaceful - no coup recorded
1974 - Walter Scheel Helmut Schmidt
peaceful - no coup recorded
Classification: Powell & Thyne Coup d'Etat Dataset, where available.

Frequently asked questions

When is the next election in Germany?
The German presidential election is scheduled for 30 January 2027.
Who is the current leader of Germany?
The head of government is Friedrich Merz (Christian Democratic Union).
When was the last election in Germany?
The most recent was the German federal election on 23 February 2025.
What type of government does Germany have?
Germany is a parliamentary republic.
Profile from Wikidata - updated 2026-09-15.