German election race tightens three days before vote

The German election race heated up on Thursday as the lead of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) over Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives narrowed to just four points, three days before the federal election.

The SPD, whose candidate for chancellor Olaf Scholz is currently vice chancellor and finance minister in Merkel’s grand coalition, slipped one point to 25%, according to the Kantar poll.

Support for the conservative CDU/CSU alliance, whose chancellor candidate is Armin Laschet, rose one percentage point to 22%, while the Greens slipped a point to 16% and the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) was stuck at 11%.

Merkel, in power since 2005, plans to stand down after the election. The SPD’s Scholz is German voters’ most popular choice by far to succeed her as chancellor.

Photo – Journalists watch live election debate with Democratic Union (CDU) party chairman and top candidate for the upcoming federal elections Armin Laschet (R), Green party (Die Gruenen) co-chairwoman and top candidate for the upcoming federal elections Annalena Baerbock and German Minister of Finance and Social Democratic Party (SPD) top candidate for the federal elections Olaf Scholz (L) in Berlin, Germany, 19 September 2021. . EPA-EFE/FILIP SINGER