Twilight of the Merkel Era : Power and Politics in Germany After the 2017 Bundestag Election

"Elections always have consequences, but the 2017 Bundestag election in Germany proved particularly consequential. With political upheaval across the globe-notably in Britain and the USA-it was vital to European and global order that Germany remain stable. And it did through the re-election of Angela Merkel as chancellor, now in her fourth term. Just under the surface, however, instability is mounting-exemplified by the entry of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) as the largest opposition party, the decline of the Social Democrats, the ever-restive Bavarians, and the growing factionalism within the Christian Democratic Union as the Merkel era comes to an end. Paying special attention to the rise of the AfD, this volume delves into the campaign, leading political figures, the structure of the electorate, the state of the parties, the media environment, coalition negotiations, and policy impacts."-- Provided by publisher CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Introduction: Merkeldämmerung Chapter 1 Coalition Politics in Crisis?: The German Part System Before and After the 2017 Federal Election Chapter 2 Pointing Fingers at the Media?: Coverage of the 2017 Bundestag Election Chapter 3 LGBTI Rights and the 2017 German National Election Chapter 4 Kan-di(e)-dat? Unpacking Gender Images across Angela Merkel’s Four Campaigns for the Chancellorship, 2005-2017 Chapter 5 The Left Party and the AfD: Populist Competitors in Eastern Germany Chapter 6 The CDU/CSU’s Ambivalent 2017 Campaign Chapter 7 Yet Another Grand Coalition: The Social Democrats at the Crossroads Chapter 8 The Race for Third: Small Parties in the 2017 Bundestag Election Chapter 9 Two of the Same Kind?: The Rise of the AfD and its Implications for the CDU/CSU Chapter 10 The AfD and the End of Containment in Germany? Chapter 11 Radical Right-Wing Populists in Parliament: Examining the Alternative for Germany in European Context Chapter 12 Antisemitism in the “Alternative for Germany” Party Chapter 13 Germany’s Aussenpolik after the Election Chapter 14 Germany’s Role in the EU-27 Leadership Constellation after Brexit Epilogue: Moving Beyond Merkel INDEX