German Chancellor Olaf Scholz faced criticism after failing to land a decisive blow against conservative frontrunner Friedrich Merz in their first televised debate ahead of Germany’s snap election in two weeks. The 90-minute duel saw both candidates argue they are best placed to restore Europe’s largest economy to growth while keeping the far-right Alternative for Germany party at bay on migration and security issues.
Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-09/scholz-fails-to-land-decisive-blow-in-german-election-tv-debate