Germany: who are the candidates for Angela Merkel's succession?

The renewal of the Bundestag, the German lower house, will have a special flavor on September 26.

Angela Merkel is stepping down after sixteen years and four terms at the head of the country.

In 2017, she won with 32% of the vote, then governed with the "

grand coalition

" made up of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) her party, the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) her ally and the Social Democratic Party (SPD)

Read also In Germany, the candidates let go of their blows in the home stretch

The results will be known at 6 p.m. Sunday, but the future government could be announced later.

In question, a voting system that promotes coalitions and alliances between parties.

In 2017, Angela Merkel had negotiated for 117 days before forming her government and an alliance with the SPD.

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Olaf Scholz, candidate of the Social Democratic Party.

INA FASSBENDER / AFP

Olaf Scholz (SPD)

The current vice-chancellor was first mayor of Hamburg for seven years, until Angela Merkel offered him to become his finance minister.

Popular, the 63-year-old man has continued to improve in the polls.

He has shown himself open to negotiations with all parties except the far right (AFD), but has publicly declared that he prefers to govern with the Greens of Annalena Baerbock.

Read alsoOlaf Scholz tries to keep his slight advantage in the German legislative elections

But Monday, September 20, he had to respond to a summons from the Bundestag's finance committee as part of an investigation for "

obstruction of justice

". Employees of a special unit for the fight against money laundering of the FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit) dependent on the Ministry of Finance, have not reported in time suspicious transfers transmitted by three banks (drug trade and weapons, terrorist financing) to the police and the judiciary.

"Me chancellor, I will set up from the start the minimum salary of 12 euros, I will guarantee stable pensions, and I will make sure, from the first year of my government, to do everything to promote the development of renewable energies so that we have a modern industry, strong in jobs and climate neutral,

”he declared at the end of a debate on September 19.

Armin Laschet, Conservative candidate supported by Angela Merkel.

ANNEGRET HILSE / REUTERS

Armin Laschet (CDU)

Known by Angela Merkel after the ousting of Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Armin Laschet heads North Rhine-Westphalia, a

Land

which produces more than a fifth of Germany's wealth.

A region that he delighted with the Social Democrats in 2017. Francophile, this former journalist was received by Emmanuel Macron, with whom he shares certain European proposals.

His campaign, after having struggled to start, stumbled over a scandal.

Shortly after the July floods, Armin Laschet is pictured hilariously during a tribute to the victims.

The conservative excludes a coalition with the extremes (AFD and Die Linke), and has declared that he wants to govern with the SPD and the Liberals.

"I Chancellor, I will fight for the unity of Europe in these difficult times, for our country to be an economically strong and climate neutral power and for clear choices in terms of internal security

," he said. he said at the end of a debate on September 19.

Annalena Baerbock, green candidate.

MICHELE TANTUSSI / REUTERS

Annalena Baerbock (Greens)

The Member of the Bundestag took the head of her party in 2018, credited with almost 16%.

She represents the realistic wing and seeks to modernize the image.

Several controversies have punctuated his campaign, such as his proposal to increase the price of gasoline, the forgetting to declare certain income and a certain improvement of his CV.

Environmentalist Claudia Roth, vice-president of the Bundestag, had defined her party as

"Francophile"

and her candidate as

"fervent European"

.

"We believe that Europe must grow together and it is a path that President Macron, given his convictions, can accompany,"

she said for Le Figaro.

Read also Legislative elections in Germany: the quiet ecology of Annalena Baerbock

“Me chancellor, there will be a new beginning;

it will be a policy that will not do things by halves when it comes to climate protection, a policy that will concern itself above all with children and families, a foreign policy guided by the defense of human rights at the heart of the Europe, ”

she declared at the end of a debate on September 19.

Christian Lindner, the deputy who wants to be kingmaker.

TOBIAS SCHWARZ / AFP

Christian Lindner (FDP)

In 2013, the Liberal Democratic Party suffered a historic defeat and has no deputy in Parliament, a first since 1949. Christian Lindner takes the lead with a clear objective: to resume a role of kingmaker. In 2017, he gathered 10% of the vote, but stopped negotiations with Angela Merkel declaring: "

It is better not to govern than to govern badly

".

Under his leadership his party has changed some of its positions, advocating for example the exit of Greece from the euro zone and toughening its discourse on immigration. In 2017, he sparked an uproar when he said Germany should move closer to Russia. Christian Lindner has also publicly criticized the management of the health crisis. He declared himself open to negotiations with Armin Laschet, but also with the SPD and the Greens.

“

We could make the best contributions to the finance ministry.

With us, there will be no tax increases, which all left-wing parties want and which the CDU does not clearly exclude.

And with us, there will be no easing of the debt brake, which all left-wing parties also want and which the CSU does not clearly exclude

, ”he said in an interview with the 21st of August.

What the latest polls say

The latest polls, to be taken with caution, placed Olaf Scholz's SPD in the lead with 25% of the vote against 21.5% for Armin Laschet and the CDU.

The Green Party is said to fall to 16% after reaching nearly 24% in April.

The Liberals and the Alternative fur Deutschland would play a level playing field at around 11%.

Finally, the extreme left and Die Linke would cap at 6%.