Wahlanalyse

Germany's federal election took place on September 26 last year. The outcome resulted in a three-party coalition, the so-called Ampelregierung (traffic light government).

A couple of days ago, the Bundeswahlleiter (Federal Election Commissioner) published a demoscopic analysis of the results. Here are some of the graphical presentations.

A new record (©Der Spiegel)

Not so surprising is the increase in absentee votes. People filled out their ballots at home and sent them by mail, fearing a Corona infection when going to the poll station. For Red Baron, it is always a pleasure to personally put his ballot into the box.

©Bundeswahlleiter

Looking into the type of voters who preferred to walk to the polling station, it's interesting to note that the right-wing AfD - many of its members are Corona deniers - refrain from ballots sent by mail. Strangely enough, it was the Greens who over-proportionally cast absentee ballots. By the way, nobody in Germany questions the validity of ballots sent by mail.

©Bundeswahlleiter

The map shows the election turnout for Germany's federal states. While the high voter participation in Bavaria is explained by the support for their governor Markus Söder, the high turnout in Schleswig-Holstein is somewhat unexpected. Note the low number for Sachsen-Anhalt, the federal state with the most significant political disenchantment, and the highest percentages for the right-wing AfD.

©Der Spiegel

The most exciting bar graph shows party preference as a function of age. The tendency is impressive. The more senior people prefer our grand old parties, while the Greens and the Liberals are most attractive to the younger generation.

©Bundeswahlleiter

What this means, in the long run, has to be seen. Germany's electorate is aging, and will the young carry through their today's preferences to an older age? Red Baron is too old to follow this development.

©Bundeswahlleiter

Still, there is a difference in voting behavior for these "younger" parties. While young men prefer liberals, girls tend to vote green.

©Bundeswahlleiter

Otherwise, women of all ages voted more traditional and "greener" than men and despised the AfD.

©Der Spiegel

Analyzing the votes according to gender in previous federal elections shows that female voters supported Angela Merkel's governments in voting for Christian Democrats, although the gender gap is closing.

©Bundeswahlleiter

There is still a big difference between the old and the new federal states in voting behavior, i.e., the wall still exists between the east and the west. Following the reunification, traditionally, Die Linke (The Left) was the voice of the people of the former German Democratic Republic. But disillusionment soon set in. The left was unable to live up to expectations. 

©Der Spiegel

But there was the other, the right-wing party, that caught the dissatisfied ones. More than 30% of the male votes in the age group from 35 to 59 in the "new" federal states went to the AfD. It hurts.

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