Germany’s party system is coming under unprecedented strain

It was not supposed to be like this. West Germany’s post-war institutions, extended to the east after reunification in 1990, were designed to see off the chaos of the pre-Nazi Weimar years. Strong “people’s parties” like the cdu and the Social Democrats (spd) were encouraged, to weaken fringe outfits. Parties’ role in politics was even anchored in the constitution. Other safeguards included a rule that parties had to win 5% of the vote to enter parliaments. Courts were permitted to ban parties that violated democratic principles, although none has done so since 1956.