German Media Highlights Nepal's Parliamentary Elections, Focusing on Youth Aspirations and Rapper Balen Shah

Most major German media outlets prominently featured news about the House of Representatives election held in Nepal on Thursday. This coverage included leading newspapers, television channels, and online news portals.

Germany's prestigious television channel Tagesschau24 published a report titled 'Elections in Nepal, Hope After Anger,' noting that the election was held to form a new parliament following last year's violent youth protests. It highlighted the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) candidate, rapper Balen Shah, as a popular figure in this election, writing, 'Musically speaking, he seems to have already won the election. The sound of "Balen, Balen" can be heard in many places.'

The report mentioned that many Nepalis are hoping for change in this election, stating, 'Very few people believe that the former prime minister will become the new prime minister again. Many people desire permanent change, expecting less corruption and more employment.'

Another newspaper, Tagesszeitung (TAZ), published a story titled 'Rappers are challenging the establishment,' writing, 'In Jhapa Constituency No. 5, considered the stronghold of Sharma Oli, who has served as prime minister multiple times, Balendra Shah, who is half his age, has challenged Oli.'

TAZ mentioned that Shah has been the independent mayor of the capital Kathmandu for about four years, noting in the report, 'He arranged for the city council meetings to be broadcast live, reorganized the waste management system in a new way, and took strict action against illegal structures, squatters, and street vendors. Because of this, he also became a subject of criticism.'

Furthermore, the news portal Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote a story titled 'From Rapper to Head of Government?' Its report stated, 'Balendra Shah became famous in Nepal for his songs against corruption. The youth protest movement could propel him to the position of Prime Minister.'

Another German newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung, presented a video report titled 'Parliamentary Elections in Nepal,' mentioning that as Nepal suffers from political instability, corruption, and poverty, it is expected that the new generation will take political leadership after this election.

Similarly, the German version of the media outlet Deutsche Welle, which publishes in various languages, ran a story titled 'Elections in Nepal, Gen Z Generation in Hope of Real Reform.' It wrote in the report, 'Youth protests in September 2025 forced the then-government to resign. Will the new election held on Thursday fulfill the demands of the youth movement?'

The English version of Deutsche Welle published a story titled 'Why Nepal's Election Matters to India and China,' writing, 'In the Himalayan nation of Nepal, youth demonstrations against corruption are leading to new elections after the collapse of the last government. While this election is often seen as a clash between the Gen Z generation and the old leadership, its outcome could influence which of the country's two giant neighbors exerts more dominance, as China and India compete for regional geopolitical influence.'

Another German newspaper, 'Der Spiegel,' in its online edition, published a photo of Balen taking selfies with children, writing, 'This rapper wants to become the Prime Minister of Gen Z.' It mentioned that the 35-year-old Balen was the mayor of Kathmandu until some time ago and is now advancing for political power as the political hope for many young people.