Wiesbaden, Germany – The term “Ampel-Aus,” directly translating to “traffic light out,” has been voted Germany’s Word of the Year for 2024. This term encapsulates the collapse of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition, composed of the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens, and the Free Democrats (FDP).

The decision was made by the Association for the German Language (GfdS), highlighting the significant impact of this political event on the German public discourse. The term “Ampel-Aus” effectively symbolizes the breakdown of the coalition, often referred to as the “traffic light coalition” due to the parties’ respective colors: red, green, and yellow.

Other notable contenders for the title included “Klimaschönfärberei” (greenwashing) and “kriegstüchtig” (war-ready), a term used by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to describe Germany’s increased military preparedness.

The GfdS jury, composed of language experts and media professionals, selected the Word of the Year from a pool of nearly 2,500 submissions. The organization emphasizes that the selection is based on the term’s significance and popularity, rather than its frequency of use.

The Word of the Year initiative, established in 1971, aims to capture the zeitgeist of the year through a single word or phrase. Last year’s choice was “Krisenmodus” (crisis mode), reflecting the challenges faced by Germany and the world.

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