Vote taking place under the shadow of US-European rift, rise of the far right at home
PUBLISHED : 22 Feb 2025 at 18: 45
Friedrich Merz, leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union, attends an election rally in Oberhausen on Feb 21. His conservative CDU-CSU alliance has long had a strong lead in opinion polls but will probably need help to form a coalition government if it wins. (Photo: AFP)
BERLIN – German politicians made a final scramble for votes on Saturday on the eve of key elections in which conservatives hope to win despite the dramatic rise of the far right targeting a record showing.
Sunday’s vote comes at a time of upheaval for Europe and its biggest economy as US President Donald Trump has ended a united Western stance on the Ukraine conflict by reaching out to Russia.
Trump’s threats of a trade war spell more trouble ahead for Germany, after its economy has shrunk for the past two years, and as it also faces bitter social polarisation on the flashpoint issues of immigration and security.
Sunday’s vote is being held more than half a year ahead of schedule after centre-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-way coalition collapsed in early November.
The conservative CDU-CSU alliance, led by Friedrich Merz, has long had a strong lead in opinion polls on around 30%, double that of Scholz’s SPD.
The far-right Alternati
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