Skip next section What you need to knowWhat you need to knowThe final week before Germany’s federal election will kick off with the four main candidates for chancellor answering policy questions on public broadcaster ARD.
The snap federal election was called for February 23 after the current coalition government collapsed in November last year.
Right-wing opposition parties have remained steadily in the lead — Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party the CSU at around 30%, followed by Alice Weidel’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) at around 20%.
Incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats (SPD) are currently polling in third place with 15%, while their coalition partners, Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck’s Green Party, are coming in fourth with just over 13%.
Here are the latest developments in the election campaign on Monday, February 17:
Skip next section Police suspect arson in SPD bus fireFebruary 17, 2025
Police suspect arson in SPD bus firePolice in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein said on Monday that they “suspect arson and are investigating all possible leads” after a campaign bus was set on fire overnight.
The bus belongs to lawmaker Nina Scheer, a member of Chancellor Scholz’s embattled SPD.
SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch called the incident an attack on democracy, saying “the entire SPD stands in solidarity with Nina Scheer and her team…we continue to fight for social and just politics.”
According to polls, the conservative CDU is polling at nearly 40% in the state and the SPD at 16%, neck and neck with the far-right AfD.
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Skip next section Who are Germany’s main parties? The little threeFebruary 17, 2025
Who are Germany’s main parties? The little threeBusiness-friendly and focused on finances, the Free Democrats (FDP) ruled in coalition with the SPD and Greens until November, when they left the government over budget disputes. The FDP does not want to relax Germany’s debt brake. They also stand for lowering taxes, smaller government, and increased immigration controls. The party has face criticism for unrealistic proposals and a lack of change in leadership and policy as it tumbles in the polls.
The Left is calling for nationwide rent controls, creating more affordable housing, price controls on groceries, and lowering taxes for the poorest Germans while increasing taxes on the rich. The party has long been viewed skeptically by some for its origins in East German socialism, as well as for being soft towards Russia.
The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) is named for its leader, a former top figure for the Left. The populist party holds both traditionally left and traditionally right views. For example, it seeks to reevaluate Germany’s relationship with Russia and impose stricter immigration laws but also wants to increase minimum wage and affordable housing. Critics argue that the party is unserious and not competent to govern.
All three of these parties are in danger of falling under the 5% hurdle necessary to enter the Bundestag.
Germany’s new BSW party shakes up political landscapeTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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Skip next section Who are Germany’s main parties? The big fourFebruary 17, 2025
Who are Germany’s main parties? The big fourThere are seven main parties fighting for seats in Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag.
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party the CSU are a center-right coalition that was in power for 16 years under former Chancellor Angela Merkel. Under new leader Friedrich Merz, the party has become slightly more conservative. Their main policy proposals include lowering taxes and deregulating sectors of the economy, strengthening immigration laws and stepping up deportations, and increased spending on defense. The conservatives recently lost a major debate in the Bundestag over immigration proposals constitutional experts said violated German law.
The Social Democrats (SPD) are a center-left party represented by incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Their platform relies on progressive reforms such as lowering taxes on food and income tax for everyone but the mega-rich, increasing minimum wage, and protecting pensions. The party, has suffered in the polls due to anger over Germany’s stagnating economy under Scholz and a spate of attacks carried out by failed asylum seekers who evaded deportation orders.
Germany’s Greens want to lower taxes on energy to reduce costs for consumers, relax the country’s debt brake in order to increase spending on modernization, take a stronger stance against China and Russia, and make Germany’s energy grid more sustainable. The party has been part of Scholz’s coalition, and thus has also shouldered the blame for the country’s economic woes. Economy Minister Robert Habeck, who is the party’s candidate for chancellor, has also been criticized for agreeing to energy deals with oil giants in the Middle East as a member of the Green party.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the first far-right party to enter parliament since World War II. They are calling for a major overhaul of immigration law, increased policing and defense spending, and financial deregulation. Since its inception in 2013, members of the AfD have been criticized for Islamophobia, antisemitism, and xenophobia. Leader and chancellor candidate Alice Weidel has also been criticized for being friendly towards Russia and mostly living in Switzerland, not Germany.
German parliament holds heated debate on migrationTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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Skip next section AfD’s Weidel decries ‘voter fraud’February 17, 2025
AfD’s Weidel decries ‘voter fraud’AfD leader Alice Weidel echoed other right-wing leaders in recent years by using the idea of “voter fraud” in an interview with German tabloid Bild.
She said that the CDU’s plan to ally with the Greens once the election was over, even though the AfD is set to come in second, was ignoring voters’ wishes.
“It is the will of the people to have a black-blue coalition,” she said, referring to the colors associated with the CDU and her own party, respectively.
She added that voters should know that “a vote for Friedrich Merz is also a vote for the Greens.”
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Skip next section Top candidates to face public questionsFebruary 17, 2025
Top candidates to face public questionsA day after their televised debate, the four candidates for chancellor are set to participate in a town hall-style question round on Monday evening.
They will take questions from voters live on public broadcaster ARD.
There has been some public criticism that the candidates from smaller parties, such as the FDP, BSW, and the Left, were not asked to participate.
All three are fighting for survival, hovering in the polls around the 5% hurdle necessary to enter the Bundestag.
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Skip next section What happened over the weekend?February 17, 2025
What happened over the weekend?The top four candidates for chancellor appeared on live television together for the first time to participate in a debate.
The CDU’s Friedrich Merz, the AfD’s Alice Weidel, Green party candidate Robert Habeck and incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the SPD sparred on issues including the economy, the war in Ukraine, and irregular migration.
Weidel struck a very different tone from her rivals when it came to US President Donald Trump and the invasion of Ukraine, calling the president the “right man” to bring about peace and insisting that Germany should be “neutral” in the conflict.
The candidates also sparred over Germany’s debt brake — a key factor in Scholz’s coalition collapsing last November — and how the country should source its energy needs.
Germany’s debt brake: Balancing stability and growthTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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