German Election Series

On September 26, German voters went to the polls to elect a new parliament. Its members will in turn choose a successor for Angela Merkel, whose chancellorship ends after 16 years in power. The end of this era presents a unique opportunity to reset some of Germany’s political priorities and implement new policies aiming to boost Germany’s leadership on development issues. The country’s new leadership will also chair the G7 in 2022, a crucial moment to work towards resolving some of the most pressing global issues. CGD colleagues have worked with leading Germany-based researchers to develop specific policy proposals for the next German government across a wide range of topics vital for global development, outlined below.

More from the Series

Blog Post

Germany’s Role in EU Development Policy: From Broker to Agenda-Setter

Mikaela Gavas
and
Svea Koch
September 09, 2021
With a new government taking over the helm of the country and building on its financial firepower, Germany now has the opportunity to fully embrace a leadership role in the EU as an agenda-setter in development, driving forward innovative ideas, rather than as a mere broker.
Blog Post

Change or Crumble! Germany Needs to Reposition its International Cooperation
Adolf Kloke-Lesch
September 08, 2021
As Angela Merkel’s 16 years at the helm of the German government come to a close, Germany’s international cooperation for sustainable development seems, at first sight, to be in good shape. During her tenure, German official development assistance (ODA) more than tripled, reaching $28 billion in 202...
Blog Post

Four Ways the German Government Can Improve Development Effectiveness
Rachael Calleja
and
Heiner Janus
September 02, 2021
Over the last decade, Germany emerged as a leading provider of development finance. Since 2016, Germany has consistently been the second largest bilateral provider of official development assistance (ODA), and in 2020, it was the only G7 member to meet the 0.7 percent ODA/GNI spending target due to ...
Blog Post

Germany’s Role in Global Health After the September 2021 Election
Janeen Madan Keller
and
Katri Bertram
August 30, 2021
Germany has stepped up as an important player in global health in recent years, rising to become the third largest government donor to health in 2019. Notably, Germany has played a key role in WHO reform efforts; it is the largest donor to WHO for the 2020-21 budget period, and one of the largest WH...