Debates between the candidates for Chancellor from Germany’s two main political forces—the Social Democrats and the Christian Democratic Union—have been announced in connection with the upcoming early elections.
The TV channels ARD/ZDF and RTL have announced live debates between SPD candidate Olaf Scholz and CDU leader Friedrich Merz. The debates organized by ARD and ZDF will take place on February 9 and will be broadcast simultaneously on both channels. They will last for 90 minutes.
RTL will hold its debate on February 16, the last Sunday before the elections, which are scheduled for February 23. In addition, debates featuring other candidates for Chancellor from political parties are planned. ARD and ZDF aim to invite co-chair of the Greens, Robert Habeck and candidate from the right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD), Alice Weidel. However, there has already been criticism within the Greens over Habeck not being invited to participate in the debates with Scholz and Merz.
Germany is preparing for early parliamentary elections, set for February 23. The need for elections arose after the collapse of the coalition between Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, the Greens and the Free Democrats. On Monday, the Bundestag voted to express no confidence in Scholz’s government, officially starting the process for election preparations.
