Skip next section Söder rules out coalition with Greens
02/22/2025February 22, 2025
Söder rules out coalition with Greens
, who leads the conservative , said his party would not form a government with the environmentalist after the February 23 election.
The CSU is the smaller Bavarian sister party of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
“It’s clear: No coalition with the Greens, dear friends,” he said at a CDU/CSU campaign event in the Bavarian capital, Munich.
The , but is unlikely to be able to rule alone. Its leaders have also ruled out entering into coalition with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is currently polling at second place.
Söder also praised CDU leader Friedrich Merz for late in January, saying that his party colleague had shown “character, a spine, and leadership ability.” The move was criticized by other parties for relying on votes from AfD lawmakers.
Meanwhile, CSU secretary-general Martin Huber criticized the AfD.
“You’re not an alternative,” he said at the same campaign event in Munich, arguing the populist party would take Germany into the “abyss.”
He said that only CDU/CSU would be able to fight “illegal immigration” and secure an .
https://p.dw.com/p/4qu5A
Skip next section AfD says they are showing ‘love’ in face of ‘hate’ from their opponents02/22/2025February 22, 2025
AfD says they are showing ‘love’ in face of ‘hate’ from their opponents
Matthew Moore
The populist held its final election rally in Berlin ahead of this snap election.
Its top candidates delivered fiery speeches railing against knife crime, immigration, and .
The rally was flanked by noisy counterprotesters, including around 100-150 as well as civil groups shouting “everyone together against fascism.”
Beatrix von Storch, a senior figure in the AfD, said the anti-AfD protesters were showing hate.
“Look at our faces this is love,” she said in English, “now look over there, that is hate.”
Another speaker welcomed US President Donald Trump’s critical tone toward Ukraine in recent days.
“The US has arrived where the AfD always was. Which is why need the AfD now in power in the German government.”
The AfD is hoping to secure around 20% of the vote on Sunday, which would double its previous best result.
But the prospect of the party being in power is very low, as the other parties have sworn not to work with them.
https://p.dw.com/p/4qu4r
Skip next section Scholz calls for voting age to be lowered to 16
02/22/2025February 22, 2025
Scholz calls for voting age to be lowered to 16
Incumbent Chancellor called for Germany to to 16.
“In many countries this is already the case, as also is the case in many municipal elections in Germany,” Scholz said at a campaign event in the eastern town of Brandenburg an der Havel.
He said the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was not “convinced” by the idea.
Lowering of the voting age in Germany would require a change to the constitution, known as the .
In June 2024, German 16-year-olds could for the first time.
At the same campaign event on Saturday, Scholz expressed hope that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) would do worse than and called for other parties not to cooperate with it.
The AfD is currently polling at around 21% of the vote, meaning it could become the Bundestag’s second-largest party.
Late last month, the CDU sparked controversy after it to pass a non-binding resolution on border policy. CDU leader Friedrich Merz has insisted that the country’s remains intact and ruled out cooperation with the AfD.
https://p.dw.com/p/4qtwo
Skip next section Scholz hopeful in spite of polls
02/22/2025February 22, 2025
Scholz hopeful in spite of polls
Incumbent Chancellor said he believed he would manage to secure his seat in the city of Potsdam, which lies just southwest of and is the capital of the eastern state of .
“I am sure that I can win the electoral district again, just like last time,” Scholz said at a Potsdam campaign event, according to German news agency DPA.
He expressed a note of optimism despite the unpromising polls for his Social Democrats (SPD), saying: “I am convinced that this time many people will only make their decision at the ballot box.”
The SPD emerged as the Bundestag’s largest force in 2021 elections, receiving 25.7% of the vote, after which it formed a government in coalition with the environmentalist Greens and the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP). In polls in the run up to this year’s election, the SPD has been predicted to net between 14.5-16% of the vote.
Scholz is running against Foreign Minister , who aims to secure Potsdam for the Greens. The chancellor is currently polling ahead of his junior coalition partner in the electoral district.
https://p.dw.com/p/4qtU2
Skip next section What is at stake in Germany’s election?
02/22/2025February 22, 2025
What is at stake in Germany’s election?
Migration and the economy have been among the top issues in the campaign for Germany’s Bundestag election, which is scheduled for Sunday.
Though the conservative CDU/CSU alliance is ahead in the polls, it is unlikely to be able to govern alone. It has ruled out cooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has been polling at second place.
https://p.dw.com/p/4qtG6
Skip next section Who is currently ahead in the polls?
02/22/2025February 22, 2025
Who is currently ahead in the polls?
, who leads the conservative , is the favorite to become next chancellor. His CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), have been polling at 28-32%.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is and is polling at 20-21%. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats (SPD) could net around 14.5-16% of votes and his junior coalition partner, the environmentalist Greens, could receive between 12-14%, according to polls.
A number of smaller parties are also running in Sunday’s election, with the socialist to around 7.5-9% of the vote. The pro-business , which broke with Germany’s ruling coalition in November, and the have both been hovering around the 5% of votes required to enter parliament.
https://p.dw.com/p/4qtDQ
Skip next section Merz, Scholz address Ukraine war at rallies
02/22/2025February 22, 2025
Merz, Scholz address Ukraine war at rallies
Chancellor candidates Friedrich Merz, of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and Olaf Scholz, of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), addressed rallies in the run-up to Sunday vote, pledging and criticizing US President with Russia.
https://p.dw.com/p/4qtEk
Skip next section Welcome to DW’s coverage02/22/2025February 22, 2025
Welcome to DW’s coverage
Saim Dušan Inayatullah | Zac Crellin
Germany is entering its last day of campaigning ahead of on Sunday. DW will be tracking the latest developments.
Among the most pressing issues for voters were immigration, the state of the German economy, foreign policy and climate change, according to an ARD-Deutschlandtrend poll from January.
German businesses after two years of recession, demanding a complete overhaul fo economic policy.
On Friday, Interior Minister spokesperson Maximilian Kall warned of a Russian disinformation operation seeking to influence voters and (AfD).
https://p.dw.com/p/4qtDR
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