The result of the Bundestag election is extremely close: only 1.6 percentage points separate the CDU/CSU from the election winner SPD. The Social Democrats have made significant gains compared to the 2017 election, as have the Greens. And also small parties, often referred to as "others," made gains: From five percent at the Federal election 2017 to now 8.6 percent. One of the parties even managed to enter the Bundestag.
| SPD | CDU/CSU | Green | FDP | AfD | The Left | Other |
| 25,7 | 24,1 | 14,8 | 11,5 | 10,3 | 4,9 | 8,7 |
299 of 299 constituencies are counted. The data comes from the Federal Election Commissioner (as of 4.30 a.m.) and are expressed as a percentage.
Other parties in the 2021 federal election
A look at the small parties is thus worthwhile. Among them, for example, the Pirate Party or the far-right NPD party. Both have already been represented in state parliaments – but they have never managed to get into the Bundestag. They did not succeed in 2021 either, receiving only 0.4 percent (Pirates) and 0.1 percent (NPD) of the second votes cast.
The Left Party could also theoretically be counted among the other parties after the 2017 Bundestag election, as it did not reach the five-percent hurdle. The Left Party is nevertheless represented in the Bundestag: The basic mandate clause allows it to enter parliament with 39 deputies thanks to winning three direct mandates.
SSW – Here's how it fared
The Southern Schleswig Voters' Association (SSW) is a special case among German parties: he represents the Danish minority in Schleswig-Holstein and the national Frisians. These also see themselves as a minority and not as part of the Germans. To Minorities political representation in Germany, their party is exempt from the five-percent hurdle in federal elections.
In fact, this is how the SSW managed to win a place in the Bundestag to grab – top candidate Stefan Seidler will enter parliament as a non-factional deputy. 55.330 Zweitstimmen and thus 0.1 per cent seizes the party. However, this is not a novelty: Already in 1949, the SSW candidate Hermann Clausen made it into the Bundestag. From 1961 to this year's Bundestag election, however, the SSW did not run again.
Federal election: The result of the free voters
In Bavaria, they are part of the state government, and in many municipalities, too, the Free Voters of importance. Nationwide they played so far however no role. And that is likely to remain the case. Because although the Free Voters are the largest of the small parties with 2.4 percent of the second votes nationwide, it is not enough for them to enter the Bundestag.
The basis – This is how the party performed
Only in July 2020 was "The basis" founded in the environment of the protests against the Corona measures of the federal government. It is close to the so-called "lateral thinkers" and was conspicuous before the Bundestag election by anti-Semitic statements and right-wing conspiracy theories. In the Bundestag election, the party achieved 1.4 percent of the second votes.
The party – result in the Bundestag election
The party does not take himself quite seriously. After all, it was also founded as a satire party by satirist and journalist Martin Sonneborn. This seems to resonate with some voters: One percent voted for the party in the federal election. For a move into the Bundestag this is not enough however.
The results of the other parties at a glance
Overall, the other parties received 8.6 percent of the second votes in the federal election. The results at a glance:
| Party | Share of second votes |
| Free voters | 2,4 % |
| Animal Protection Party | 1,5 % |
| The base | 1,4 % |
| The party | 1,0 % |
| Team Todenhofer | 0,5 % |
| Pirates | 0,4 % |
| Volt | 0,4 % |
| oDP | 0,2 % |
| NPD | 0,1 % |
| V-Party3 | 0,1 % |
| BP | 0,1 % |
| Health research | 0,1 % |
| The Humanists | 0,1 % |
| Alliance C | 0,1 % |
| SSW | 0,1 % |
All parties not mentioned received less than 0.1 percent of the second votes.