The Partisan webinar “German Election Political Tech Review” explored how political parties approached digital campaigning and strategy during Germany’s 2025 elections. Moderated by Josef Lentsch (Partisan), the discussion brought together voices from across the political spectrum and campaign industry: Benjamin Läpple (Partisan)delivered the keynote, followed by a panel featuring Leila Rifahi (CDU), Nicolas Schwendemann (Ressourcenmangel), Tim Herrmann (SPD), and Philipp Burkert (Universum/FDP).

Campaign strategies: cautious innovation

Leila Rifahi (CDU) described how conservative campaigns balanced modernisation with Germany’s cautious political culture. Paid ads, she noted, remain a “necessary but limited” tool, with message discipline and personal networks carrying more weight than flashy innovations. For the CDU, consistency across channels was key — combining doorstep canvassing, earned media, and controlled digital presence.

“German voters expect seriousness. Campaigns can’t rely on digital gimmicks alone; credibility comes first.”

Industry insights: creativity under constraints

Nicolas Schwendemann (Ressourcenmangel), whose agency supported multiple campaigns, reflected on the creative limits of political communication. Unlike commercial advertising, political messaging must resonate across diverse demographics while avoiding polarisation.

He stressed that Germany’s fragmented media environment makes omni-channel strategies essential.

“You need television, print, digital, and social media working together. No single channel is decisive — it’s the orchestration that counts.”

Social democracy and grassroots digital

Tim Herrmann (SPD) highlighted how social democrats blended grassroots activism with digital tools. While Meta and TikTok were used for outreach, the party invested heavily in strengthening local chapters and peer-to-peer communication.

“Digital platforms help us scale, but the real persuasion still happens in conversations."

He cautioned against seeing AI or automation as shortcuts, pointing instead to the enduring value of local organisers.

Liberal experiments: data-driven but people-focused

From the liberal side, Philipp Burkert (Universum/FDP) shared how the FDP sought to experiment with data-driven campaigning. Programmatic advertising and AI-supported trend analysis allowed for more precise targeting, yet he underlined that tech was not a substitute for political identity.

“The FDP’s challenge is always to appear modern but authentic. Technology helps us be faster and more adaptive, but authenticity must never be automated.”

Keynote perspective: lessons for political tech

In his keynote, Benjamin Läpple (Partisan) contextualised the German case within broader European trends. He argued that while digital sophistication is rising, Germany shows the limits of technology when voter trust and mobilisation depend on credibility and long-term relationships.

“Elections are not won by tools alone. They are won by people — supported, but not replaced, by technology.”

👉 The panel converged on a central lesson: in Germany, political technology must complement — not replace — traditional campaigning. AI, programmatic ads, and digital platforms provide scale and speed, but community-building, trust, and face-to-face engagement remain decisive. The German 2025 elections illustrate that while innovation matters, it is the careful integration of tech with tradition that defines successful campaigns. For parties across Europe, the message is clear: credibility first, technology second.