Roundtable: Germany has elected – expected ramifications for European politics and transatlantic relations

The recent federal elections have brought a dramatic shift to the right in Germany’s political landscape. The right-extreme “Alternative für Deutschland” (AfD) has gained more than 20 percent of votes and will thus be a tangible power in the next parliament that might push debates and policies into a less liberal direction. At the same time, left-leaning parties such as the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Leftist Party have hardly more than a third of all votes together.