Germany prepares for snap election with new voting system and 5% threshold

Germany will hold a snap election on February 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition collapsed. The reformed voting system, introduced in 2023, prioritizes proportional representation and limits parliament to 630 seats, affecting how parties gain representation. Under the new rules, parties must secure at least 5 percent of the national vote to enter parliament. However, a court ruling allows parties winning three constituency seats to gain representation even if they fall below this threshold. This creates uncertainty in the election outcome. The competitive landscape includes several smaller parties, making it difficult to predict the new parliament's composition. The far-right Alternative for Germany is unlikely to join any coalition, as other parties have ruled out collaboration with them.