German election: Border controls extended for 6 months

Meanwhile, the co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), Alice Weidel, has described Hungary as a "great model" during a visit to Budapest (see below).

"Hungary is the bulwark against illegal migration," Weidel said at a press conference following talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

She pledged to "follow the path of Hungary, our great model," if her party enters the German government following the federal election on February 23.

The AfD is currently polling in second place on around 20%. However, its chances of being part of the future government are slim, given that all major parties have ruled out forming a coalition with the far-right group.

Orban, meanwhile, said it was an "honor" to welcome Weidel to Budapest and called her the "future of Germany."

The German electoral system is a system of "personal proportional representation." This is because German voters cast two ballots in the federal election.

The first is for a party list which is used to calculate proportional support for each party among the electorate.

The second vote is used to elect individual lawmakers directly to the Bundestag from the 299 constituencies across the country.

Those 299 MPs are guaranteed a seat in the German parliament, but the number of seats won per party is deducted from the seats won through proportional representation to make sure that the final share of seats matches the proportional share of votes.

This complex system can lead to a mismatch in the number of seats, and previously more seats were added until each party was again proportionally represented. This led the Bundestag to become the second-largest in the world after the Chinese parliament.

However, in June 2023, new legislation was passed to limit the number of seats to 630, down from the current 733.

A further important rule is that parties must win at least 5% of the proportional vote to get seats in the Bundestag. This was designed to keep out extremist parties.

A number of parties currently in the Bundestag have been polling below the 5% mark, including Free Democrats (FDP) — who previously ruled in coalition with the SPD and Greens — and the Left Party.

In the 2021 election, the Left managed to gain seats despite falling below this threshold thanks to an exception to the rule — if a party wins three direct mandates, then it can gain its full share of seats.

As Germany gets ready for a snap election, the discussion about climate action versus economic priorities is getting stronger.

Political parties are increasingly focusing on jobs and the economy, with some voices criticizing the current climate protection measures. 

Friedrich Merz, the CDU chairman, has suggested that coal and gas plants should only be wound down if it doesn't harm the industry. Even parties active on climate issues are less vocal on the topic than during 2021's election.

This stance has raised concerns among experts who warn that sidelining climate action could pose long-term risks. 

Despite the political rhetoric, a significant portion of the German population continues to support stronger climate initiatives.

Click here to read more about how climate action is being pitted against the economy.

Migration and border control have emerged as major issues in this election campaign.

One reason for that is a series of recent attacks connected to foreign suspects that have fueled public concerns about security and immigration policy. As a result, the major parties are seeking to show they are taking the issue seriously.

The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) has grown in popularity. It is currently polling in second place behind the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, who have pledged to implement stricter measures to control migration.

Last month, CDU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz relied on AfD support in parliament to push through an anti-immigration motion calling for more migrants to be turned back at the borders, breaking a taboo against cooperating with the far-right party.

The center-left Social Democrats (SPD) of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, meanwhile, has also taken a tougher stance on migration, implementing border controls last year and speeding up deportations. But the opposition has said they are not doing enough.

On Tuesday, Merz blamed Scholz's coalition for the popularity of the AfD in a speech in the German parliament. Meanwhile, Scholz accused Merz of seeking to damage European cohesion with his AfD-backed motion.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says temporary controls in place along Germany's borders will be extended for six months after their planned expiry date in March.

The move comes less than two weeks out from Germany's federal election, with the issue of migration playing a key role in the campaign.

Scholz said Wednesday that Berlin had notified the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, about the decision.

The measures were introduced in September last year in a bid to get a handle on irregular migration to the country.

Scholz said there had been 47,000 people turned back at the borders since then, as well as the arrest of 1,900 people smugglers. Asylum applications to Germany also fell by a third in 2024 compared to 2023, he added.

The six-month extension means the controls will remain in place until mid-September this year.

Scholz's center Social Democrats (SPD) have come under fire for their handling of migration following a series of deadly attacks that were blamed on migrants and asylum seekers.

The party is currently polling in third place on around 16%, putting them on course for their worst-ever election result.

The conservative CDU/CSU bloc, polling in first place, has made cracking down on irregular migration one of their main election pledges. 

Alice Weidel, the chancellor candidate for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), is in the Hungarian capital to meet Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The two were to hold talks at Orban's official residence in the former Carmelite monastery in Budapest Castle. According to the Hungarian government, the pair were set to discuss the "European migration crisis."

The two politicians share a number of views, including a hardline stance on immigration and a desire to rebuild relations with Russia.

The AfD has seen its popularity grow in recent years and it's currently polling in second place ahead of Germany's federal elections, scheduled for February 23.

Wednesday's visit marks the first time Orban has hosted a politician from the far-right German party.

The Hungarian leader has sought to bring together far-right and right-wing forces in the European Parliament as part of the Patriots for Europe group he helped launch last year.

The group does not currently have a German party as a member.

Pro-Russian, anti-American parties could win a quarter of the votes in Germany's upcoming federal election. Both far-right and left-wing populists oppose sanctions against Russia and want to resume imports of Russian gas.

The co-leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party headed to Budapest on Wednesday to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. 

It came a day after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and rival Friedrich Merz clashed in a heated parliamentary session.

With only 11 days remaining until the national elections on February 23, the rhetoric and campaigning efforts are intensifying.

DW will keep track of the main stories on the campaign trail and answer your most pressing questions.