Political parties and elections
According to the terms of the Basic Law, it is the task of the political parties to participate in the formation of the political will of the people.
The 18th German Bundestag, elected on 22. September 2013, is made up of the CDU (Christlich Demokratische Union) along with its sister party, the CSU (Christlich-Soziale Union), and the SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands), which together form the coalition government; the opposition parties are the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen und Die Linke.
The elections to the Bundestag and the Länder parliaments are free, confidential, and equal (each vote counts the same). These elections are also direct. This means that people vote directly for members of parliament via a list. In Germany, elections to the Bundestag and the Länder parliaments are general elections. This means that all citizens aged 18 and over are eligible to vote and to stand for election.