Scholz edges out Merz in German pre-election TV debate

BERLIN

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz outperformed his Conservative rival Friedrich Merz in a televised debate Sunday evening two weeks ahead of Feb. 23 parliamentary elections.

During the 90-minute debate broadcast on public networks ARD and ZDF, Social Democrat Scholz gained 37% viewer approval, slightly ahead of Merz's 34%, while 29% of viewers rated both candidates equally.

The incumbent chancellor particularly resonated with women voters, gaining 43% support among female viewers, while Merz led among male viewers with 40%. Scholz also performed exceptionally well with the younger demographic, winning 47% approval from voters aged 18-34 compared to Merz's 25%.

The debate centered on migration, economic policy and foreign affairs, with a heated exchange over potential cooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Scholz criticized Merz for departing from a longstanding principle in German politics by accepting AfD votes in parliament to pass controversial migration legislation earlier this month. He raised doubts about whether Merz's Christian Democrats would honor their pledge to reject any coalition talks with the AfD after the parliamentary elections.

In response, Merz emphasized that his CDU/CSU alliance would neither cooperate nor seek a coalition with the AfD.

“I want to make it clear here once again that we will not do that,” he said, adding that “there is no common ground” between Christian Democrats and the AfD on issues concerning the European Union, NATO and future relations with the US.

A survey conducted for ZDF during the TV debate showed Scholz scoring significantly higher on credibility, with 42% of viewers finding him more trustworthy compared to 31% for Merz. The chancellor also outperformed his rival in personal appeal, with 46% of viewers finding him more sympathetic versus 27% for Merz.