German election live: Final poll predicts large gains for AfD days before voters cast ballots – UK Times

A middle-aged woman clutching an emptied cardboard box stands silently over the latest pile of fresh red flowers near Munich central station. A pink child’s dress hangs on the railings above, next to an Algerian flag and a doll. Teddy bears sit among placards calling for peace.

It has been just over a week since a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker drove his white Mini into a crowd attending a trade union demonstration—the third suspected terror attack in Germany in as many months.

More than two dozen were injured. A woman originally from Algeria, who later worked for the government, and her two-year-old child were killed.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the collapse of his three-way coalition in November, bringing the originally scheduled September election forward.

Following the coalition’s collapse:

• December: A 50-year-old Saudi Arabian man drove a truck into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing six and injuring 200.
• January: A 28-year-old Afghan man attacked a school group, killing a two-year-old child and a man in Aschaffenburg.
• February: Last Thursday, an attack in Munich left multiple victims. Authorities believe the assailant, Farhad Noori, may have had “Islamist motivation.”

Germany hasn’t seen significant economic growth in five years.

It’s a stunning turnaround for Europe’s biggest economy, which for much of this century had expanded exports and dominated world trade in engineered products like industrial machinery and luxury cars.

So what happened? Here are five reasons for Germany’s ongoing economic slump:

Germany’s mainstream parties all favour helping Ukraine fend off Russia’s invasion, while the AfD and BSW want an end to weapons deliveries to Kyiv and a resumption of good relations with Moscow.

However, Scholz and his SPD have recently struck a more cautious tone – emphasising the need for diplomacy – than the conservatives, Greens and FDP, who are all in favour of Germany delivering long-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv.

Scholz has proposed incentivising private investment and modernising infrastructure with an off-budget, €100 billion fund. His SPD also plans a direct tax refund of 10 per cent on equipment investments by businesses.

The Greens’ Robert Habeck has, like Scholz, called for reform of Germany’s constitutionally enshrined debt brake to allow for higher public spending.

Merz had also signalled some openness to a moderate reform of the debt brake but his party’s manifesto has pledged to retain it. The AfD and the FDP are fierce defenders of the limit on public borrowing.

The CDU/CSU manifesto has proposed extensive financial relief for companies and citizens, including income and corporate tax cuts, and lower electricity charges. They have not said how these would be financed.

The AfD wants Germany to ditch the euro, reintroduce the Deutsche Mark and potentially leave the EU.

Germans head to the polls on Sunday in a pivotal election that will shape the country’s trajectory for the next four years and significantly influence Europe’s political landscape.

As the European Union’s most populous nation and a leading member of Nato, Germany’s political direction holds substantial weight on the international stage.

The election’s outcome will also determine Germany’s continued role in supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression, as the country currently stands as the second largest weapons supplier to Ukraine after the United States.

The new German government will also play a key role in shaping Europe’s relationship with the Trump administration.

Here’s a look at what to expect for Sunday and beyond:

When a young German anti-climate activist nicknamed the “anti-Greta Thunberg” began flattering tech billionaire Elon Musk on X, few could have foreseen it leading to the tech billionaire wholeheartedly endorsing Germany’s far-right. It would take just ten months.

Germany goes to the polls on Sunday and there are fears the Alternative for Deutschland (AfD), a political party partly designated as far-right extremists, could win nearly a quarter of the national vote.

X owner turned Trump ally Musk has described the AfD as the only party that “can save Germany”, interviewed the party’s leader, Alice Wiedel, spoken at the AfD’s election rally and written an op-ed endorsing the party.

Tom Watling and Alicja Hagopian report:

Four candidates are bidding to be Germany’s next leader in Sunday’s election. The would-be chancellors are the incumbent, the opposition leader, the current vice chancellor and — for the first time — a leader of a far-right party.

Here’s a rundown on Olaf Scholz, Freidrich Merz, Robert Habeck and Alice Weidel, the four candidates looking to become Germany’s next chancellor.

German voters will head to the polls on Sunday, with the far-right AfD party expected to surge.

The SPD and Greens, both part of the governing coalition, are likely to drop in popularity according to recent polling.

But Germany’s centre-right Christian Democrats, who were led by long-serving chancellor Angela Merkel until 2021, are likely to become the largest party in parliament.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz has struggled with popularity ratings for much of his time as the German leader.

Sitting at 18 per cent according to a Infratest Dimap survey last year, his popularity ratings were some of the lowest recorded by a German leader.

It is the fourth snap election in Germany’s history, after president Frank-Walter Steinmeier dissolved parliament when Mr Scholz lost a vote of confidence in parliament.