German election: Candidates spar on economy, Ukraine, Vance

Habeck (Greens):  "The situation is too serious and the pressure on Germany too great for electoral arguments. Ladies and gentleman, I'm 55 years old and have lived in a country where security and prosperity seemed guaranteed. This guarantee is no longer so solid. After the election, we have to work together politically to find solutions together. I therefore request that I may continue to serve Germany, so that my children and your children may enjoy the same possibilities that we had in the past."

Merz (CDU): "After February 23 comes February 24 and we will have to solve problems. These include irregular migration and economic stagnation. I want to lead a government which stops arguing with itself, a government which is engaged in Europe and ensure that Germany's voice is heard. That can only happen if we're economically strong, when young businesses have a future, when we have a better education policy, when our country has a stronger voice. That's what I stand for – and absolutely not with the AfD. If you want change, then you'll get that with the CDU."

The order in which the candidates give their closing statements was determined by lottery, and began with incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Alice Weidel of the far-right AfD.

Scholz (SPD): "I think this debate has shown the SPD and the incumbent chancellor ought to continue into a second term. It's about war and peace, security in Europe and the finances needed to achieve that without cutting into pensions, health care or infrastructure. We must encourage investment in Germany and ensure that the country remains together with a higher minimum wage and a fairer tax system which demands more from those who earn more."

Weidel (AfD): "We want to make Germany wealthy and secure again. We will stop illegal immigration by securing our borders and by the deportation of those here illegally or who commit crimes. The CDU, by the way, has also prevented this for years. We have the highest energy prices in the world, which we will also change with the help of new technologies: reliable nuclear power, coal, gas and also renewable energies – but without gigantic subsidies which harm our country and its tax payers. Vote for the AfD for real political change."

The conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) chancellor candidate Merz, whose party has a clear lead in the polls ahead of the next week's election, has explicitly ruled out any cooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is currently polling in second place.

"I want us to reach the strategic point where we have two options but only need one," he said.

Asked which options these would be, he said: "Possibly the Social Democrats (SPD), possibly the Greens."

He said he had "doubts" about the business-focused Free Democrats (FDP), but said he was confident of holding constructive post-election coalition talks. The FDP are frequently polling below 5% voter support, which is the percentage needed for a party to enter the German lower house of parliament, or Bundestag. 

"I think the Social Democrats and the Greens have understood that they can't just carry on as before," he said. "But we have a plan for this country: Germany must move forward, we have to take our foot off the brakes."

The claim: Robert Habeck, chancellor candidate for the environmentalist Green Party said, "We have 130 billionaires, i.e. billionaires, not millionaires. They received 28 billion more assets last year."

The facts: According to a report by Oxfam from January 2025, there are 130 billionaires in Germany. The same report says their wealth grew by around $26.8 billion (€25.5 billion) in 2024. This means that Germany has the most billionaires after the USA, China and India.

US business magazine and website Forbes has a similar number at 132 billionaires and adds that there has been an increase of six from the year before. However, it says that the Germans, as a group, are $59 billion richer than a year ago.

The German Manager Magazin, a monthly business magazine focusing on business, finance and management, differs when it comes to the number of billionaires. It publishes an annual list of Germany's richest people and it estimated that there were 249 billionaires in Germany in 2024. 

Asked about foreign policy and the recent remarks from the new US administration on Ukraine, the Greens' Habeck says:

"The Trump administration has launched a full-frontal assault on the values of the western world, on those things which originally came to Europe from America: law and order, liberal democracy, the free market, the rules-based order, the very foundations of our politics.

"No wonder they have no problem making deals with Putin, but every else should have a huge problem with that."

Habeck says that Trump, Putin, Musk and others have key things in common: "I have the biggest army, so I'll take whatever land I want. I'm the richest man, and want to be even richer. I have the strongest market, so I ignore all market regulation. Europeans, including the next German government, whoever it is, must stand together."

The CDU's Merz says that Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is not only targeted at Kyiv but against the entire western world, and says the threats from Moscow should be taken extremely seriously.

"This is not just about Ukraine; it's about reestablishing the Greater Russia of which he dreams," he says of Putin's intentions, adding that that could include "parts of the Baltic, parts of Poland."

Asked whether he would include the territory of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), as a former part of the Soviet sphere of influence, as being under threat from Putin, Merz says:

"He may not consider that part of his Greater Russia, but we can assume that, once he's on that path, he won't shy away from pushing borders as far as he can. He has NATO territory in his sights. And we need to be prepared for that."

Far-right AfD candidate Weidel has struck a markedly different tone, saying she "welcomes" the comments made by US Vice President JD Vance in Munich this weekend and describing President Donald Trump as "exactly the right man" to be bring about peace in Ukraine.

As for the role of Europe and Germany, she would like to see Berlin take on a "neutral, mediating role" in such disputes, and bemoans the fact that "Germany is no longer considered neutral by Russia."

Her comments provoke fury from Merz (CDU), who rages: "Frau Weidel, you're doing what you always do: refusing to name the cause of this war. Even when asked multiple times. Russia started this war. And only Russia!

"You say we are not considered neutral by Russia. No, because we are not neutral! We are on Ukraine's side. We are defending the values we share. Your words this evening only confirm for me that I will do absolutely everything to prevent you from ever taking political responsibility in this country."

The claim: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his government had reduced irregular migration by 100,000 people last year.

“We are doing everything we can to limit irregular migration. That's why we reduced it by 100,000 last year. And there will be another reduction of 100,000 this year,” said Scholz.

The facts: Scholz seems to have calculated this reduction by looking at asylum applications in the country.

In 2024, 229,751 people applied for asylum in Germany for the first time, according to Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.

According to the same source, the figure for 2023 was 329,120. This would indeed amount to a reduction of 100,000 applications.

But irregular migration can also be determined by looking at those who entered Germany without authorization.

In this case, Scholz’s calculation would not be precise.

The number of unauthorized entries to Germany recorded by the police in all German borders went from 127,549 in 2023 to 83,572 in 2024.

Alice Weidel was given a chance to outline more of the AfD's proposals to increase government revenues, and began by committing to Germany's traditional "debt brake."

"Fundamentally, a state must never spend more than it earns, she said. "That's the purpose of the debt brake: to prevent the state getting into debt. And that what I and the AfD stand for."

She said the AfD plans to make savings by cutting back on costs associated with "combatting climate change" – pointing directly at Habeck and the Green Party – and "benefits to foreign migrants."

"The money must be there for German tax payers and not simply thrown out the window. If you reduce those outgoings, the federal budget would have more room to play with," she said

"The deindustrialization of this country is well underway and I've not heard one proposal to deal with that. You've heard mine."

Chancellor Scholz dismissed her plans as poorly thought-through, saying: "Not we've not. The viewers have heard nothing from you but hot air."

With the federal budget increasingly strained, the debate turned to what the four candidates propose on taxation.

Scholz (SPD) said that he earns over €300,000 gross in his role as Chancellor and that he therefore "could and should pay more tax. And those who earn millions should pay even more, especially in times when money is short."

Habeck (Greens) said that Germany has a problem with "fairness" when it comes to taxation. He said that the rich, including Germany's 130 billionaires, are getting richer but that it doesn't trickle down to the rest of society.

He said he struggles understand why it's even a debate as to whether or not the super-rich should contribute more.

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Habeck asked. "They should have to justify why they don't want to contribute more. It's such a warped debate."

Weidel (AfD) said that her party is in favor of tax relief for families, but Scholz claimed that the AfD's taxation plans are even more imbalanced than those of the business-focused Free Democrats (FDP).

The claim: Friedrich Merz, chancellor candidate for the conservative bloc CDU/CSU said "every man and woman can call Mr Höcke a nazi without punishment."

The facts: There has been a long debate in Germany about Bjorn Höcke, who is a member of the AfD described as a "far-right extremist politician."

In 2019, a German court ruled that Höcke can legally be described as a "fascist," based on a "verifiable factual basis." And last year he was convicted of using banned Nazi slogans.

Insult, malicious gossip and defamation directed at persons in political life are penalized under Germany's criminal code (division 14). 

In the case of Höcke, the debate is whether calling him a "Nazi" would be a defamation or a "value judgment based on facts," as Frankfurt’s public prosecutor argued in 2023.

Björn Höcke has denied espousing any Nazi ideology. 

There have been reportedly no judgments or similar decisions that explicitly allow anyone to call Höcke a nazi without facing potential punishment.

AfD's Alice Wiedel responded to a question about JD Vance's Munich visit, where he is said to have met with Weidel after a controversial speech in the Munich Security Conference. 

Weidel said that her party was open to good relations with the US. Furthermore, Weidel said she supported Vance's vision on freedom of speech and his opposition to "firewalls" in German politics. 

She said she also supported the US push to have a ceasefire in Ukraine, adding that Trump was "the right person" to help end the war. 

The AfD leader said she supported good relations with China, the US, and Russia. 

"We have friends in the West and the East," Weidel said. 

The candidates laid out their views on the German economy and the country's persistent issues with infrastructure and digitalization.

CDU leader Merz said the key is to get "the monster which is our bureaucracy under control."

As for what sort of energy Germany should be using, he accuses the coalition government of shutting down "three perfectly good, functioning nuclear power plants" in the middle of the country's "biggest energy crisis."

"If we just keep declaring which energy sources we don't want, we won't get anywhere," he says.

Weidel (AfD) also declared her support for "safe and reliable nuclear power, coal and gas and also, if we want, renewable energies."

She promised a government which would be "open to new technologies" and "against bans."

"Every consumer should be free to decide how they heat their homes and what sort of car they drive, and every business should be free to decide what they produce," she said.

The Greens' Habeck, who has served as Economy Minister in the current government, blamed Germany's "structural economic crisis" on the absence of two key drivers of growth: cheap Russian gas and a shrinking export market.

"Let's not forget, it's [Russian President Vladimir] Putin who has caused this," he reminded viewers, referring to Germany's turn away from Russian gas following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. "Our previous reliance on Russian gas is what is now responsible for high prices now."

As for exports, he said "Germany has already been an export nation" but said a shrinking market has only been exacerbated by tariffs imposed by the new United States government.

"When those two elements are missing, we see that we have invested far too little in making ourselves competitive," he concluded. He agreed with Merz that Germany needs "less bureaucracy" and more investment in "infrastructure, trains, bridges, digitalization."

Harking back to a previous question, he claimed that "legal migration will be vital for that."

Chancellor Scholz (SPD) also blamed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but defended the German government's response and insisted that the period of highest prices is over.

In a heated discussion over Germany's defense and Ukraine policy, AfD leader Alice Weidel blasted the SPD, CDU and Green parties over their support for Ukraine. She said Germany should stay "neutral" in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. 

"Peace and war will decide this election," Weidel said, directly accusing CDU's Merz of supporting sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine. 

"It is a provocation to Russia," Weidel said, accusing the German government of seeking to send weapons and potentially even German soldiers to Ukraine. 

The Greens Robert Habeck said all parties except AfD were in unison on their support for Ukraine, which Merz echoed. 

"No, Miss Weidel, we are not neutral," Merz said, adding that "we are on the side of the Ukrainian people." 

SPD leader Olaf Scholz supported CDU leader Merz's refusal to work with the far right.

"We have a tradition in Germany of not working with the far right because we have learnt our lessons from the era of national socialism. There is a reason why the symbols of the far right are banned in Germany, and that's how it must stay. I'm absolutely clear, there can be no cooperation with the far right. Which is why I'm so concerned that the CDU has already attempted to pass a motion through parliament with the help of the AfD."

AfD leader Weidel rejected the accusation.

"That comparison is scandalous and I reject it on behalf of my party. By saying that, you are insulting millions of people who vote for us. We are a conservative, peaceful party," Weidel said.

Merz pointed out that Weidel intends to include Björn Höcke in a potential cabinet, an AfD politician which German courts have ruled may legally and accurately be described as a fascist. "That shows your true colors," he says. "You represent an extremist party."

Weidel, meanwhile, refused to condemn or distance herself from comments made by former AfD leader and now honorary chairman Alexander Gauland that the Nazi period 1933-1945 represented "a mere bird dropping in over one thousand years of successful German history."