German Chancellor Candidates Clash in Televised Debate Ahead of Elections

In Germany, the four leading candidates for chancellor engaged in a heated televised debate on February 16, 2025, just one week before the national elections. The candidates, Olaf Scholz (SPD), Friedrich Merz (CDU/CSU), Alice Weidel (AfD), and Robert Habeck (Greens), clashed over immigration, the role of the far-right AfD, and economic policy. Key points of contention included immigration policy following a recent attack in Munich by an Afghan asylum seeker, and strategies for dealing with the AfD. All candidates except Weidel expressed support for Ukraine, with Merz warning of a threat to the post-1990 political order. The candidates also debated economic strategies, including taxation and energy policy.