The 1994 German federal election narrowly returned Helmut Kohl's CDU/CSU–FDP coalition and produced the largest Bundestag in history at that time, with 672 members.
Key Facts
- Election date
- 16 October 1994
- Bundestag seats
- 672 members
- Bundestag number
- 13th Bundestag
- Winning coalition
- CDU/CSU and FDP
- Chancellor retained
- Helmut Kohl
- Last centre-right win until
- 2009
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following German reunification, the CDU/CSU–FDP coalition government under Helmut Kohl sought a renewed mandate. Despite growing competition from the SPD and the newly established presence of the PDS in western Germany, Kohl's alliance remained the dominant political force entering the October 1994 vote.
On 16 October 1994, German voters elected the 13th Bundestag. The CDU/CSU–FDP coalition under Chancellor Helmut Kohl won by a narrow margin, securing enough seats to continue governing. The Bundestag, at 672 members, became the largest in German history up to that point.
Kohl continued as Chancellor, extending the centre-right government's tenure until 1998. The election also brought into parliament future CDU leaders Friedrich Merz and Armin Laschet, as well as future cabinet ministers Norbert Röttgen and Peter Altmaier, shaping German conservative politics for decades.
Political Outcome
CDU/CSU–FDP coalition re-elected; Helmut Kohl remained Chancellor with a narrow majority in the 13th Bundestag.