When Germans vote on Sunday, conservative Friedrich Merz is the strong favourite to become the next chancellor after a bitterly fought campaign roiled by the rise of the AfD, a far-right party vocally backed by Team Trump.

Germany heads to the polls on Sunday for a high-stakes election that could see the conservative Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union alliance return to power under Friedrich Merz, ending Chancellor Olaf Scholz's tenure leading the Social Democratic Party.

In the wake of Trump’s victory—and his administration’s transformation from staunch ally to sneering adversary—Germany’s firewall against the far right is beginning to crack.

He is the man tipped to be Germany's next leader: an antidote to Europe's crisis of confidence, say his supporters. Friedrich Merz is a familiar face of his conservative party's old guard. Politically,

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and opposition leader Friedrich Merz will face off in a final head-to-head debate Wednesday, four days before the election, in a campaign overshadowed by the rise

Friedrich Merz is on track to become Germany’s next chancellor, with his party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and its Bavarian affiliate, the Christian Social Union (CSU), maintaining a strong lead in the polls.