Create your own German coalition

German chancellor Angela Merkel’s Chistian Democrats will remain the largest party in the Bundestag following a sweeping victory in Germany’s federal election on Sunday. But which junior coalition partner will join Ms Merkel’s CDU and Christian Social Union to form the next government?

With support for Ms Merkel’s junior coalition partners in the last parliament – the liberal Free Democrats – collapsing, attention now turns to talks with the other main opposition parties. The centre-left Social Democratic party, led by Peer Steinbrück, will remain the second largest party in parliament after gaining 25.7 per cent, according to exit polls. The Green party with 8.4 per cent of the vote and the former communist Linke party with 8.6 per cent are the other main parties to make up the parliament.

This interactive graphic, updated with the latest polling data, shows the possible distribution of the seats in the next Bundestag. Select a combination of parties to see if a coalition between them could form a majority, and how likely it is for them to do so.

Parties must obtain at least 5 per cent of the vote to gain seats in the Bundestag. Parties which current polls suggest will not reach this threshold are greyed out in the calculator and cannot be selected.