Germany will conduct snap elections on February 23, as Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government collapsed. The key issues of this snap election are controlling immigration and revitalising the European Union’s largest economy. Other important issues include the ongoing war in Ukraine and a series of violent attacks raising concerns about migration.
This election’s results will shape the future leaders of the country, not only determining the next chancellor, but the composition of parliament, and the possibility of new political alliances.
Who Are The Contenders Running For Chancellor?
Friedrich Merz
According a BBC report, the frontrunner is, Friedrich Merz of Christian Democrats (CDU). Merz, 69, is a plain-talking, pro-business, social conservative who has spent years waiting for his moment in leadership.
He was overshadowed by Angela Merkel in 2002 in CDU, which is when he stepped away from politics, served on the boards of investment banks and even pursued flying as an amateur pilot. His first two bids to win CDU leadership had failed, against Merkel in 2018 and then Armin Laschet who went on to lose the German election in 2021, as per BBC. Then, he took over the CDU and is running under the slogan “A Germany we can be proud of again”.
Merz has promised permanent border control and faster asylum rules for the restriction of immigration. Additionally, he aims to cut taxes and reduce €50 billion in welfare spending in an effort to revive Germany’s struggling economy. He has also promised to bolster aid for Ukraine.
Merz provoked a strong backlash ahead of the election when he tried to tighten immigration rules by relying on votes from the far-right AfD, a strategy that ultimately failed. Although he has ruled out working with the AfD, former CDU Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised him for accepting their votes, and he faced significant protests. Merz has also vowed to take a stronger leadership role for Germany within Europe and to increase support for Ukraine, making it clear that he would not rule out future NATO membership.
Olaf Scholz
Although he has already served three years as a Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, who leads an unpopular coalition collapsed over disagreements regarding Germany’s strict debt rules. The government has faced significant challenges, particularly due to the economic impact of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Germany was the largest aid provider to Ukraine in Europe, under Scholz’s leadership. He spoke of strengthening Germany’s defence policy and military spending, but critics said that he was acting to slow. Now, he has promised to continue European support for Ukraine “for as long as necessary” and rejects the notion of a dictated peace. However, Scholz has supported faster deportation of asylum seekers, he also reintroduced border checks, which he has claimed reduced asylum requests by a third in one year.
Scholz’s party, Social Democrats (SPD), has plans to create a “Germany fund” to boost investment and propose raising the minimum wage to €15 an hour from €12.82. Despite these internal divisions, the SPD has previously allied with conservatives, and while Scholz has said he can no longer trust Merz, the Social Democrats could still become potential partners in the future.
Alice Weidel
Alice Weidel from Alternative for Germany (AfD) is a far-right and right-wing populist political party. She is the first candidate for chancellor since the party was created in 2013. According to BBC, she has enjoyed the backing of billionaire Elon Musk and was granted a meeting with US Vice-President JD Vance during his visit to Munich.
The 46-year-old Weidel has little chance of winning but is popular with young voters on TikTok and her party has set its sights on four years.
Co-led by Tino Chrupalla, the AfD has already secured one recent victory, in September’s state election in Thuringia in the east. Jointly led by Tino Chrupalla, the AfD recently achieved a significant win in September’s state election in Thuringia, in eastern Germany.
Weidel backs the mass deportation of migrants, embracing the highly controversial term “remigration” – which she defines as deporting criminals and “illegal” migrants, as per the report.
She also aims to lift sanctions on Russia, restore the damaged Nord Stream gas pipelines, and dismantle wind turbines—which she refers to as “windmills of shame”—despite their role in supplying a quarter of Germany’s electricity.
Robert Habeck
Robert Habeck’s The Greens had played a crucial role in the Scholz government, with Habeck serving as vice-chancellor and economy minister. He opposes a return to nuclear energy and advocates for more affordable access to renewables, which accounted for 63.4% of Germany’s electricity supply by the end of last year.
Habeck, 55, has strongly supported aid for Ukraine and has openly criticized Friedrich Merz for leaning on AfD votes in parliament. His relationship with Merz remains strained, especially after accusing the CDU leader of making himself unfit for the chancellorship, though the Greens could still find their way back into government.
Sahra Wagenknecht
Recently formed, Sahra Wagenknecht and her Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) party back closer relations with Russia and has built a strong support base in eastern Germany. She called her politics “left conservativism” and presented herself as an alternative to the AfD, backing strict limits on asylum and immigration. She aligns with the AfD in opposing German military aid to Ukraine and has faced criticism for echoing Kremlin narratives on the war. It is likely she may struggle to reach the 5 per cent threshold to get into parliament.
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