In Germany's federal electoral system, a single party or parliamentary group rarely wins an absolute majority of seats in the Bundestag, and thus coalition governments, rather than single-party governments, are the usually expected outcome of a German election.^[1] As German political parties are often associated with particular colors, coalitions are frequently given nicknames based on the colors included.^[2][3] Prominent political parties in Germany are the CDU/CSU (black), the SPD (red), the Greens (green), the Left (red, or alternatively magenta to distinguish from the SPD), the AfD (blue), and the FDP (yellow).^[4]

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Since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949, the country has traditionally used proportional representation both at the federal level and in the states. Because a multi-party system has emerged with two major parties (CDU/CSU and SPD) and a number of smaller parties that are nevertheless frequently represented in parliaments (Alliance 90/The Greens, FDP, The Left, AfD), single-party governments with absolute majorities are quite rare.

At the federal level, a single-party government has occurred only once so far: Between 1957 and 1961, the CDU/CSU held an absolute majority in the Bundestag and was able to govern alone (cabinet Adenauer III); even then, the minor German Party was included in the government for the first three years of its existence, and the government was not a fully single-faction cabinet until those ministers joined the CDU in July 1960. In the states, too, single-party governments have been quite rare, with the exception of the Free State of Bavaria, where the CSU has many times been able to achieve absolute majorities in state elections. As of January 2024, only one of 16 German states, Saarland, has a single-party government, consisting solely of the SPD.

There are two two-party coalitions usually preferred for reasons of ideological proximity; the center-right black/yellow coalition (CDU/CSU and FDP) and the center-left red/green coalition (SPD and Alliance 90/The Greens). A third type of two-party-coalition, which occurs especially after inconclusive election results, is the grand coalition of the two larger parties CDU/CSU and SPD. Such coalitions are rare due to the ideological difference between the two, but have become more common in the 21st century, with three of Angela Merkel's four governments being grand coalitions. Parties frequently make statements ahead of elections about which coalitions they categorically reject.

In Germany, coalitions rarely consist of more than two parties (CDU and CSU, two allies which on federal level always form the CDU/CSU caucus, counted as a single party). However, in the 2010s coalitions at the state level increasingly included three parties, often the FDP, Greens and one of the major parties, or "red-red-green" coalitions of the SPD, Left and Greens. As of 2017, the Greens have joined governments on the state level in ten coalitions in seven various combinations.^[5]

The state of Schleswig-Holstein is home to a Danish minority, who have their own ethnic party called the South Schleswig Voters' Association (SSW). In state politics, a coalition between the SPD, Greens, and SSW, is called the Danish traffic light (de), or Gambia coalition because these parties' colors (including the SSW's dark blue) match the flag of the Gambia. Such a coalition was in power between 2012 and 2017, led by minister president Torsten Albig, and with SSW leader Anke Spoorendonk serving as justice minister.

In December 2021, following the September German general elections, a traffic light coalition (SPD, FDP, and Greens) led by Olaf Scholz took power in Germany, the first time a three-party coalition had formed at the federal level.^[6]

Possible coalitions include:

• Black-green coalition (de) (aka Kiwi coalition) (CDU/CSU and Greens)   
• Black-yellow coalition (de) (or liberal-conservative, Christian-liberal, center-right or bürgerliche coalition) (CDU/CSU and FDP)   
• Germany coalition (de) (CDU/CSU, SPD, and FDP)    
• Grand coalition (CDU/CSU and SPD)   
• Green-yellow coalition (de) (Greens and FDP)   
• Jamaica coalition (CDU/CSU, FDP, and Greens)    
• Kenya coalition (or Afghanistan coalition) (CDU/CSU, SPD, and Greens)    
• Paprika coalition (de) (SPD, Greens, and Pirates)    
• Red-green coalition (SPD and Greens)   
• Red–red coalition (SPD and Left)   
• Red–red–green coalition (SPD, Left, and Greens)    
• Social-liberal coalition (SPD and FDP)   
• Traffic light coalition (SPD, FDP, and Greens)    
• Zimbabwe coalition (de) (CDU/CSU, SPD, FDP and Greens)     

Due to the cordon sanitaire (usually called Brandmauer, firewall, in Germany) all other parties have established against the AfD, hypothetical coalitions involving the AfD are rarely discussed. A coalition of CDU/CSU, AfD and FDP would have a majority in the 20th Bundestag elected in 2021, but was not seriously discussed publicly by either media or politicians. Such a coalition does not have a common nickname, but the term "Bahamas coalition", in reference to the colors of the flag of the Bahamas (including the AfD's light blue), was coined in 2013.^[8][9] Other coalitions involving the AfD are considered even more unlikely due to lack of parliamentary majority, ideological differences and the cordon sanitaire.^{[citation needed]}

• Great Coalition (Weimar Republic), comprising the main pro-democratic parties at the time: the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the German Centre Party (DZP), the German Democratic Party (DDP), and the German People's Party (DVP).
• List of current heads of government of the German federal states, with information on which parties are included in each state government.