Merz and Scholz in the election campaign: Who will be the new Chancellor?

On February 23, 2025, Germany faces a decisive Bundestag election that could bring a number of profound changes. According to current surveys, which was published by vienna.at , the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) under Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz could become the strongest force in the new parliament with the support of around 30 percent of the voters. In contrast, the government is weakening under Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), who was only 15 percent behind the AfD with over 20 percent.

The choice itself was brought forward after the coalition from the SPD, the Greens and FDP failed in November. Scholz 'attempt to answer the question of trust in the Bundestag led to the dissolution of the parliament and early elections. This choice also has a significant reform: the Bundestag will now only have 630 MPs, which means a reduction by more than 100 seats. Merz strives for a coalition of two with either the SPD or the Greens, while his CSU colleague Markus Söder strictly rejects a coalition with the Greens.

Occupation and international politics

The choice is not only important for the German voters, but also for the approximately 213,000 Germans abroad, which are at least theoretically entitled to vote, such as FOCUS . Criticism became loud, in particular by FDP politician Konstantin Kuhle, who described the circumstances for postal voting as "a democracy", since many votes may not be counted in time. These comments reflect the challenges that arise from the early choice.

In the event of an election victory, Merz already has international relationships on the agenda: he plans to visit Paris and Warsaw election to strengthen Franco-German friendship and to strive for close cooperation with Poland. This capacity planning is an indication of how important international politics could be for the CDU under Merz in the new year.