Here is a summary of the hot topics on voters’ minds in the lead-up to Sunday’s election, ranging from immigration and Germany’s struggling economy to cannabis and gender politics.
Friedrich Merz, the conservative poll leader, has called for a crackdown on irregular immigration after a string of violent incidents in Germany that were attributed to asylum seekers rocked the country.
Merz wants all unauthorized visitors, including asylum seekers, to be turned away at the border, in a blatant departure from his party’s former chancellor, Angela Merkel.
In addition, he wants to make it more difficult to become a German citizen and limit family reunification.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has accused Merz of trying to “bury Europe” with his plans.
But Scholz’s SPD has also pledged to tighten border controls and speed up deportations — albeit in a way he describes as more “humane and consistent”.
The far-right AfD has called for a “bulwark” against illegal migration — promising to monitor Germany’s borders day and night and slash benefits for asylum seekers.
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