In contrast, centre right, centre left and left parties are using online engagement or high visibility more than directly persuading voters. High visibility which did not translate to votes in many cases. Online participation, has not translated to competing with the other parties online. 🔚

These Bürgerdialoges are guide discussions to encourage deep participation through workshops, problem-solving, and answering qualitative questions. This led to an ask to attend a rally. A rally in Magdeburg recently drew over 20,000 participants.

3. They do a series of Bürgerdialoge, or citizen juries. A recent one in Essen had ~200 attendees, allowing for direct interaction between party reps and citizens.🧵#GermanyVotes

2. In Thuringia, the AfD has hosted Bürgerdialoge (citizen dialogues) in small towns like Leinefelde-Worbis. Populist themes of immigration, national identity, critiques of the political establishment used in events to recruit voters and volunteers 🧵#GermanyVotes

Look at the massive jump to AFD.

⚫️ AfD surges in state elections, winning Thuringia gaining ground in Saxony (30.8%).
⚫️Key support: younger voters, disaffected conservatives, and those seeking alternatives to mainstream parties.
⚫️Classified as extremist by intelligence agencies. #GermanyVotes

🥈is SPD 🌹

🌹SPD sees mixed results in state elections.
🌹Retained top spot in Brandenburg (31%) but lost ground in Thuringia and Saxony to AfD.
🌹Key supporters: urban voters, working class, older demographics.
🌹Struggling to hold its base amid rising populism. #GermanyVotes

CSU in 🥉

🧢Appeals to conservatives and centrists.
🧢Popular among older voters and middle-class professionals.
🧢Strong ties to Christian values but more moderate than CSU.
🧢Focuses on economic stability and pro-business policies.
🧢Seen as a broad “catch-all” party for mainstream voters.

Coming 4th is FDP.

🟡FDP struggles in state elections.
🟡Failed to pass the 5% threshold in Thuringia and Saxony (Sept 2024).
🟡Key supporters: business professionals, higher-income voters, urban areas.
🟡Concerns grow over the party’s future influence. #GermanyVotes

More followers but 5th in likes is Die Línke. 🚩

🚩Strongest in Eastern Germany but losing ground (Thuringia: 13.1% in 2024, down from 31% in 2019).
🚩Younger, urban, and working-class voters key supporters.
🚩Losing voters to new parties like Wagenknecht’s BSW. #GermanyVotes

Coming in 6th place in likes and follows is the greens 🌿

🌿The Greens face setbacks in state elections.
🌿Failed to reach 5% in Thuringia and Brandenburg (Sept 24).
🌿Key support: urban, young, eco-conscious, and social liberals.
🌿Party leaders resigned after poor results. #GermanyVotes

CDU with lowest likes and follows.

🗳️Popular among older voters and middle-class professionals.
🗳️Strong ties to Christian values but more moderate than CSU.
🗳️Focuses on economic stability and pro-business policies.
🗳️Seen as a broad “catch-all” party for mainstream voters.

So what followings are we seeing now after the state elections on TikTok?

It’s worthwhile to look at likes rather than just followers. Here are the accounts from lowest likes to most.

Germany’s campaign style: structured, policy-driven, and coalition-oriented. Could this approach work in your country? 🤔 #GermanyVotes #Elections #btw25

7️⃣ Voluntary voting = campaigns geared towards energizing core supporters. With proportional representation, it’s all about coalitions and broad issue coverag. 🗳️ 🧵 #GermanyVotes #Elections #btw25

6️⃣ Policy is king. Discussions happen in town halls and issue-focused events, not on the streets. 🗣️ 🧵 #GermanyVotes #Elections #btw25

5️⃣ Campaigning via posters, rallies, and forums. Germany has the strictest data privacy laws globally. Political parties cannot access voter contact details without explicit consent. This means no database for field campaigning like the US.🚪❌ 🧵 #GermanyVotes #Elections #btw25

4️⃣ TV debates like the “Triell” are pivotal. Leaders battle it out in front of the nation, shaping opinions in real-time. But only debates in 2021 were poorly engaged by voters;
1st: ~ 6.75%
2nd: ~ 13.25%
3rd: ~ 4.82%
🧵 #GermanyVotes #Elections #btw25