The strategic possibilities of the German parties ahead of the federal elections in 2013

In his contribution, Ralf Tils describes the German society as characterized by three majorities with different support groups. With red-green dominating the social and cultural majority and black-green only holding sway in the economic realm, but the CDU remains the party most capable of entering a majority government. Tils analyzes parties' strategies and opportunity potentials and finds that both camps -- bourgeois and the left alike -- don't function well politically, but that Merkel is the only one profiting from this situation on account of her personality and the CDU's strategic possibility of forming a majority government. The remaining option, a Grand Coalition led by the CDU, is a likely possibility. This development brings a continuing de-politicization of German society. Adapted from the source document