The article is dedicated to the role of the 2017 German federal election for the party-political system of Germany. It focuses on analyzing the reasons and consequences of the success of the right populist Alternative for Germany as well as the way its positions may change the German political landscape and affect the distribution of power among the mainstream political actors. The causes of the poor results of the CDU/CSU and the SPD, their strategies and challenges, the risks of the grand coalition are studied. A forecast is made on the further evolution of the party system of Germany and the significance of the election results for the future foreign policy of Germany.