The Players

Name: CDU/CSU, known better (and unofficially) as the Union party

Leader: Chancellor Angela Merkel

Ideology: Liberal Conservatism

Stance: Pro-EU

Number of Seats on the current Bundestag: 310/630

Name: Social Democratic Party (SPD)

Leader: Martin Schulz

Ideology: Social Democracy

Stance: Pro-Europianism

Number of Seats on the current Bundestag: 193/630

Name: Die Linke or The Left

Leaders: Sahra Wagenknecht & Dietmar Bartsch

Ideology: Democratic Socialism/Left-wing populism

Stance: Anti-capitalism and anti-militarism

Number of seats on the current Bundestag: 64/630

**Note: Former East German populist party

Name: Alliance 90/The Green Party

Leaders: Simone Peter and Cem Özdemir

Ideology: Green politics and progressive

Stance: Environmentalism

Number of seats on the current Bundestag: 63/630

Name: Free Democratic Party (FDP)

Leader: Christian Lindner

Ideology: Classical liberalism

Stance: Pro-business

Number of seats on the current Bundestag: 0

Name: Alternative for Germany (AfD)

Leaders: Alice Weidel & Alexander Gauland

Ideology: Nationalism/Right-wing populism

Stance: Anti-immigration/anti-Europe

Number of seats on the current Bundestag: 0

Support for the parties

In the United States, the coasts are predominantly supportive of Democrats and the center and south are predominantly supportive of Republicans. In Germany, similar patterns are seen throughout the country, based off the former division between the East and West.*

* Quick history lesson: after World War II, Germany is divided into 4 territories occupied by France, the UK, the US, and Soviet Union. The allies (sans France) met up 4 years later in 1949 in Potsdam and divided Germany into two countries: Federal Republic of Germany (former western sectors zone territories), and German Democratic Republic (former Soviet Zone).

A helpful chart found on FiveThirtyEight shows the support of each party nationwide (based of the 2013 election).

• CDU support is overwhelming in Southern Germany, a traditionally conservative area. Their sister party, CSU, “rules” Bavaria.
• SPD support is consistent in the Northwest Germany, as is CDU.
• Die Linke (The Left) has most support in the former East Germany
• The Greens, an environmentalist and progressive party, has most support in around Freiburg, an environmentally conscious area of Germany.
• FDP, who is pro business, gain most support in former West Berlin, and West Germany, territories that are industrial driven.