Germany — Merz government (2025–present)
Germany
Basis for the estimate: CDU-SPD coalition: debt-brake reform for defense and infrastructure, tighter migration, Ukraine support.
Official system and how it worked in practice
| Official system | Federal parliamentary republic |
|---|---|
| In practice | Liberal democracy electoral democracy plus strong rule of law, judicial and legislative checks, and protected individual rights |
“In practice” is V-Dem’s Regimes of the World classification for Germany, 2025–2025, from expert-coded data (V-Dem Regimes of the World (v2x_regime), V-Dem dataset v16, March 2026). V-Dem codes each country as it stood at the end of each year, so the first and last years can reflect the previous or next government. The official system is the constitutional form during the period.
Political placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 62 | near the center | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 52 | near the center | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 34 | toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 59 | near the center | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 71 | toward intervention |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 69 | toward private ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 48 | near the center |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 59 | near the center |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 55 | near the center |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 20 | toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 59 | near the center |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 47 | near the center |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 71 | toward intervention |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 46 | near the center |
Country and government scores interpret the policies of a specific government or period; they are not an authoritative ranking of countries, and official constitutional structures can differ from how power is exercised in practice. How scores are made.
Key positions (estimated)
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| A national religious authority should have the power to veto legislation. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Military aid to countries resisting invasion is worth the cost. | Strongly agrees | from their record |
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Central economic planning is preferable to decentralized market decisions. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Hate speech should be a criminal offense. | Agrees | from their record |
| Overall immigration levels should be reduced. | Agrees | from their record |
| Class distinctions should gradually disappear. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Transgender women should be able to compete in women’s sports. | Disagrees | estimated |
| Traditional elites have a legitimate special role in public life. | Disagrees | estimated |
Closest ideologies
Most similar governments
Sources
- Wikipedia: Merz cabinet (Wikipedia search)
Last reviewed October 11, 2026.