This Sunday, 23 February, Germans vote in parliamentary elections, deciding who will occupy the 630 seats of the Bundestag and who will be the country's next chancellor. Who are the candidates, and what are their views on Germany's relationship with France?
In the running for leader of Europe's biggest economy are candidates from the ruling centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), Germany's oldest political party; the opposition centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU); Alliance 90/The Greens, and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is fielding a candidate for the first time.
Olaf Scholz (SPD)
The incumbent Scholz, 66, was elected Germany’s chancellor in September 2021. An experienced administrator, this Social Democrat served as the mayor of Hamburg and has held two ministerial positions – labour and finance. Scholz is married to fellow SPD politician Britta Ernst.
Upon being appointed chancellor, he had to deal with the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Under Scholz, Germany became the second biggest donor of military aid to Ukraine, after the United States. His government managed to prevent an energy crunch and fought growing inflation. But his three-party coalition collapsed in November over disputes about how to revitalise the economy, which has been shrinking for the past two years.
On France:
As the current chancellor, Scholz has emphasised the importance of the Franco-German friendship, stating that it "remains essential". He shares President Emmanuel Macron's goal of a "geopolitical Europe".
In January 2025, Scholz met with Macron in Paris to discuss the challenges Europe is facing and the Franco-German response, reaffirming the importance of the 1963 Élysée Treaty which “lays the foundations for close bilateral cooperation to support European integration". However, Scholz and Macron have not always seen eye to eye on Ukraine, with Scholz taking a softer line on Russia.
Friedrich Merz (CDU)
Merz, 69, is Germany’s opposition leader and the front runner in the election campaign. His centre-right Union bloc is leading polls, albeit with historic lows.
Merz has steered the CDU in a more conservative direction, making the fight against illegal immigration his central campaign issue. He was elected to the European Parliament in 1989, becoming an MP in Germany five years later. In 2009, he took a break from active politics for several years, practising as a lawyer and heading the supervisory board of investment management firm BlackRock’s German branch. Merz is married to judge Charlotte Merz and they have three children.
On France:
Merz has accused Scholz of damaging the relationship between Germany and France, claiming it has been at its "lowest point" since Scholz took office. The CDU has always presented itself as “the European party” and Merz feels that the EU stability that is bolstered by a solid Franco-German relationship is faltering.
Robert Habeck (Greens)
Habeck, 55, is currently Germany’s vice chancellor, as well as federal minister for economic affairs and climate action. As co-leader of the Greens alongside Annalena Baerbock from 2018 to 2022, he presided over a rise in the party’s popularity.
The Greens nominated Baerbock as their candidate for chancellor in the 2021 election, the first time the party had nominated a single candidate instead of co-leaders. Habeck said the decision as to which of the pair should stand had come after years of difficult conversations, but displayed unity with Baerbock.
Habeck’s record as a minister has drawn mixed reviews, particularly over a plan his ministry drew up to replace fossil-fuel heating systems with greener alternatives, which deepened divisions in the government. Habeck is married to writer Andrea Paluch and has four children.
On France:
Habeck, in his role as minister for the economy, has presented a strategy for German industrial policy that includes a focus on Europe. Along with the French and Italian ministers of economy, he has been pushing the EU to strengthen European industrial policy in order to stave off increasingly harsh competition from the US and China.
After last summer's French election, Habeck expressed relief that the left ultimately triumphed over the far right, but said he still had concerns over what lay ahead, saying: "We cannot say this went well and tick the checkbox yet. We still need to pay close attention to what happens next in France."
Alice Weidel (AfD)
Weidel, 46, represents the first attempt by Germany’s populist, anti-immigration AfD party to win the position of chancellor. An economist by training, she joined the party shortly after its founding in 2013. She has been its co-leader since 2022, alongside Tino Chrupalla. The party nominated her as their candidate for chancellor in December.
However, as other parties have repeatedly said that they would not enter a coalition with the AfD – and a coalition is the most likely outcome of these elections – her chances of clinching the top job are slim. Weidel is in a relationship with Sri Lankan-born filmmaker Sarah Bossard and they have two children.
Weidel’s grandfather, Hans Weidel, was a member of the Nazi party, joining in 1932 and later serving as a prominent military judge, appointed directly by Adolf Hitler. Heildel has claimed she had no knowledge of her grandfather's role in the Nazi regime, saying he was estranged from her family.
On France:
Weidel and the AfD promote an anti-European agenda. Weidel believes Macron is on the wrong track and that "more Europe" is the wrong response to scepticism in EU member states. She sees Macron’s ideas on Europe as moves towards a centralised European federal state.
In January 2024, she was sharply criticised by Marine Le Pen, leader of the French far-right National Rally party, over her plans for “mass remigration” of foreigners. “I totally disagree with the proposal," said Le Pen, adding that she herself defends "all French people, regardless of the conditions under which they acquired their nationality".
