Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), and his main rival, Friedrich Merz, of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), have faced off in the first major debate in the lead-up to Germany's federal election. Watch this report for more details!

Germany: Chancellor candidates debate ahead of polls

As Germany approaches a pivotal election, hundreds of thousands take to the streets to protest against the rise of far-right politics, demanding unity, democracy, and a rejection of extremism.

Hundreds of thousands protest against Germany’s far-right ahead of key election

Conservative leader Friedrich Merz's bloc maintained a substantial lead in the latest campaign polls as Germany enters the crucial final month of electioneering. Watch this report for more details!

Germany: One month to elections, after Scholz govt collapse

Voters in two former East German states began casting ballots on Sunday in elections expected to deal a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government and deliver big gains for the far-right AfD.

The contests in Thuringia and Saxony come just over a week after three people were killed in a suspected Islamist attack, which has fuelled a bitter debate over immigration in Germany.

Opinion polls have the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead in Thuringia and a close second in Saxony, while also predicting a strong showing for the upstart far-left BSW.

Also watch |&nbsp;Germany: Far-right AfD eyes big gains in elections

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The two parties have found a receptive audience in the eastern states for their criticism of the government in Berlin and of military aid to Ukraine.

An election victory for the AfD would be a landmark in Germany's post-war history and represent a rebuke for Scholz ahead of national elections in 2025.

In both states, Scholz's Social Democrats are polling at around six per cent, while their coalition partners, the Greens and the liberal FDP, lag even further behind.

But even if the AfD does come out on top in the elections, it is unlikely to come to power because other parties have ruled out working with the far right to form a government.

Voting stations close at 6:00 pm (1600 GMT), with the first exit polls expected shortly after.

<h2>Far-right rise</h2>

Created in 2013 as an anti-euro group before morphing into an anti-immigration party, the AfD has capitalised on the fractious three-way coalition in Berlin to rise in opinion polls.

In June's EU Parliament elections, the party scored a record 15.9 per cent overall and did especially well in eastern Germany, where it emerged as the biggest force.

Saxony is the most populous of the former East German states and has been a conservative stronghold since reunification.&nbsp;

Thuringia, meanwhile, is more rural and the only state currently led by the far-left Die Linke, a successor of East Germany's ruling communist party.

A third former East German state, Brandenburg, is also due to hold an election later in September, where polls have the AfD ahead on around 24 per cent.

The picture in each state is slightly different but "in any case, it is clear that the AfD will unite a very strong number of votes behind it", Marianne Kneuer, a professor of politics at the Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden), told AFP.

The AfD has found stronger support in the east, where more voters "identify with its nationalist and authoritarian positions," and many are dissatisfied with the mainstream parties, Kneuer said.

At the party's last campaign meeting on Saturday in Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia, Thorsten Haentzsche, a 52-year-old voter, said he was "dreaming of an absolute majority" for the AfD.&nbsp;

"But we are realistic. A score of at least 33 per cent would be great because it would give us a blocking minority in the (regional) parliament," he said.

<h2>New challenger</h2>

Dissatisfaction with the government has also fed support for BSW, founded in January by the firebrand politician Sahra Wagenknecht after she quit Die Linke.

Like the AfD, Wagenknecht and her party have made hay with a dovish stance towards Russia and calls for a radical crackdown on immigration.

BSW scored an immediate success in June's European elections, hauling in around six percent of the German vote, and is polling a strong third in Saxony and Thuringia.

Other parties' refusal to work with the AfD leaves BSW as potentially the kingmaker in Thuringia and Saxony, despite serious policy disagreements with potential partners, especially on Ukraine.&nbsp;

The run-up to the votes in Saxony and Thuringia has, however, been dominated by an outcry over immigration stirred up by the deadly stabbing in the western city of Solingen.

The alleged attacker, a 26-year-old Syrian man with suspected links to the Islamic State group, was slated for deportation but evaded attempts by authorities to remove him.&nbsp;

The government has sought to respond to the alarm by announcing stricter knife controls and rules for migrants in Germany illegally.

The conservative CDU, which holds hopes of winning both elections, has said the initial measures do not go far enough and urged a halt to arrivals from Syria and Afghanistan.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

Voters in two former East German states began casting ballots on Sunday in elections expected to deal a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government and deliver big gains for the far-right AfD.

Voters in two former East German states began casting ballots on Sunday in elections expected to deal a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government and deliver big gains for the far-right AfD. The contests in Thuringia and Saxony come just over a week after three people were killed in a suspected Islamist attack, which has fuelled a bitter debate over immigration in Germany. Opinion polls have the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead in Thuringia and a close second in Saxony, while also predicting a strong showing for the upstart far-left BSW. Also watch | Germany: Far-right AfD eyes big gains in elections × The two parties have found a receptive audience in the eastern states for their criticism of the government in Berlin and of military aid to Ukraine. An election victory for the AfD would be a landmark in Germany's post-war history and represent a rebuke for Scholz ahead of national elections in 2025. In both states, Scholz's Social Democrats are polling at around six per cent, while their coalition partners, the Greens and the liberal FDP, lag even further behind. But even if the AfD does come out on top in the elections, it is unlikely to come to power because other parties have ruled out working with the far right to form a government. Voting stations close at 6:00 pm (1600 GMT), with the first exit polls expected shortly after. Far-right rise Created in 2013 as an anti-euro group before morphing into an anti-immigration party, the AfD has capitalised on the fractious three-way coalition in Berlin to rise in opinion polls. In June's EU Parliament elections, the party scored a record 15.9 per cent overall and did especially well in eastern Germany, where it emerged as the biggest force. Saxony is the most populous of the former East German states and has been a conservative stronghold since reunification. Thuringia, meanwhile, is more rural and the only state currently led by the far-left Die Linke, a successor of East Germany's ruling communist party. A third former East German state, Brandenburg, is also due to hold an election later in September, where polls have the AfD ahead on around 24 per cent. The picture in each state is slightly different but "in any case, it is clear that the AfD will unite a very strong number of votes behind it", Marianne Kneuer, a professor of politics at the Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden), told AFP. The AfD has found stronger support in the east, where more voters "identify with its nationalist and authoritarian positions," and many are dissatisfied with the mainstream parties, Kneuer said. At the party's last campaign meeting on Saturday in Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia, Thorsten Haentzsche, a 52-year-old voter, said he was "dreaming of an absolute majority" for the AfD. "But we are realistic. A score of at least 33 per cent would be great because it would give us a blocking minority in the (regional) parliament," he said. New challenger Dissatisfaction with the government has also fed support for BSW, founded in January by the firebrand politician Sahra Wagenknecht after she quit Die Linke. Like the AfD, Wagenknecht and her party have made hay with a dovish stance towards Russia and calls for a radical crackdown on immigration. BSW scored an immediate success in June's European elections, hauling in around six percent of the German vote, and is polling a strong third in Saxony and Thuringia. Other parties' refusal to work with the AfD leaves BSW as potentially the kingmaker in Thuringia and Saxony, despite serious policy disagreements with potential partners, especially on Ukraine. The run-up to the votes in Saxony and Thuringia has, however, been dominated by an outcry over immigration stirred up by the deadly stabbing in the western city of Solingen. The alleged attacker, a 26-year-old Syrian man with suspected links to the Islamic State group, was slated for deportation but evaded attempts by authorities to remove him. The government has sought to respond to the alarm by announcing stricter knife controls and rules for migrants in Germany illegally. The conservative CDU, which holds hopes of winning both elections, has said the initial measures do not go far enough and urged a halt to arrivals from Syria and Afghanistan. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

German regions go to polls amid expected surge of far-right AfD

Support is falling for German chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre left coalition and the proof is the elections held on Sunday in the state. The crucial states of Bavaria and Hesse choose far-right party over Chancellor Olaf Scholz's party.

Germany: State polls in Bavaria & Hesse; Germans choose far-right party in state polls

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) has suffered a crushing defeat to its rival Christian Democratic Party (CDU) in a key state, according to the exit polls.

Local media reports claimed that Scholz’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict may have cost him one of the most populous states of Germany.

Tipped to be an important bellwether for Scholz, the ruling SPD party slumped its worst to 27.4 per cent of the vote compared to CDU’s 35.3 per cent in North Rhine-Westphalia on Sunday.

According to the DW, around 13 million people were eligible to vote, making it the biggest election in Germany this year and one of the most important outside of the general election.

North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is home to major industrial cities—Cologne, Bonn, Duesseldorf, Essen and Dortmund.

It was an SPD stronghold during the 1980s and 1990s but had been ruled by the centre-right CDU since its last election in 2017.

Watch |&nbsp;Regional election in Germany: Olaf Scholz's SPD candidate admits defeat

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CDU’s Hendrik Wuest, who is also the current state premier of NRW, said he believed his party was "quite clearly the strongest force" and claimed to have the mandate to form the next regional government, reports AFP.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/test-for-german-chancellor-olaf-scholzs-party-in-important-state-election-479158">Test for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's party in important state election</a>

The 46-year-old leader took over the position from Armin Laschet last year after the former stepped down following his failed attempt to replace the outgoing Angela Merkel as German chancellor in last year's election.

Notably, this is the second state that the ruling SPD has lost.

Last week, the voters of the small northern state of Schleswig-Holstein gave a landslide victory to the CDU.

Meanwhile, the task is cut out for Scholz who will be facing another regional election in Lower Saxony state scheduled will take place in October.

In Volkswagen AG’s home state, the SPD heads a so-called “grand coalition with the CDU”.

(With inputs from agencies)

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) has suffered a crushing defeat to its rival Christian Democratic Party (CDU) in a key state, according to the exit polls.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) has suffered a crushing defeat to its rival Christian Democratic Party (CDU) in a key state, according to the exit polls. Local media reports claimed that Scholz’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict may have cost him one of the most populous states of Germany. Tipped to be an important bellwether for Scholz, the ruling SPD party slumped its worst to 27.4 per cent of the vote compared to CDU’s 35.3 per cent in North Rhine-Westphalia on Sunday. According to the DW, around 13 million people were eligible to vote, making it the biggest election in Germany this year and one of the most important outside of the general election. North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is home to major industrial cities—Cologne, Bonn, Duesseldorf, Essen and Dortmund. It was an SPD stronghold during the 1980s and 1990s but had been ruled by the centre-right CDU since its last election in 2017. Watch | Regional election in Germany: Olaf Scholz's SPD candidate admits defeat CDU’s Hendrik Wuest, who is also the current state premier of NRW, said he believed his party was "quite clearly the strongest force" and claimed to have the mandate to form the next regional government, reports AFP. Also read | Test for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's party in important state election The 46-year-old leader took over the position from Armin Laschet last year after the former stepped down following his failed attempt to replace the outgoing Angela Merkel as German chancellor in last year's election. Notably, this is the second state that the ruling SPD has lost. Last week, the voters of the small northern state of Schleswig-Holstein gave a landslide victory to the CDU. Meanwhile, the task is cut out for Scholz who will be facing another regional election in Lower Saxony state scheduled will take place in October. In Volkswagen AG’s home state, the SPD heads a so-called “grand coalition with the CDU”. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Chancellor Olaf Scholz's SPD loses key Germany state to rival CDU in regional elections

Social Democrats (SPD) headed by Olaf Scholz won German federal elections narrowly as per official prliminary results. They bagged&nbsp;25.7 per cent votes. They beat Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives who bagged 24.1 per cent votes. The Green Party got 14.8 per cent votes&nbsp;followed by the liberal FDP at 11.5 percent. The far-right&nbsp;Alternative for Germany bagged&nbsp;10.3 percent votes.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/german-spd-secretary-general-says-we-have-mandate-to-govern-416203">Also Read:&nbsp;German SPD secretary-general says, 'we have mandate to govern'</a>

However, neither SPD not Merkel's CDU/CSU is&nbsp;likely to get a majority as both said they were targeting coalitions. Opinion polls earlier had suggested a knife-edge battle between the two arch-rivals.

The new leader will take over the reins from Chancellor Angela Merkel who had expressed her intention to step down after the elections after 16 years at the top.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/german-federal-elections-2021-what-you-need-to-know-about-race-for-chancellor-416151">Also Read:&nbsp;German elections: What you need to know about race for chancellor</a>

Armin Laschet, 60, was pushed by Angela Merkel as her likely successor, however, Olaf Scholz the leader of the SPD is now the favourite to succeed Merkel. Scholz who is widely known for his tenacity has been the finance minister and vice-chancellor under Merkel.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/polls-open-in-germany-to-elect-new-chancellor-spd-cdu-csu-in-tight-race-416095">Also Read: Germany to elect new chancellor, polls predict tight race</a>

The party which comes to power finally will have the task to continue the battle against the virus and keep Germany's economy rolling.&nbsp;

The fight for the top job is however far from over as both Laschet &amp; Scholz expressed their desire to cobble a coaltion before Christmas.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Social Democrats (SPD) headed by Olaf Scholz won German federal elections narrowly as per official prliminary results. They bagged 25.7 per cent votes. They beat Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives who bagged 24.

Social Democrats (SPD) headed by Olaf Scholz won German federal elections narrowly as per official prliminary results. They bagged 25.7 per cent votes. They beat Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives who bagged 24.1 per cent votes. The Green Party got 14.8 per cent votes followed by the liberal FDP at 11.5 percent. The far-right Alternative for Germany bagged 10.3 percent votes. Also Read: German SPD secretary-general says, 'we have mandate to govern' However, neither SPD not Merkel's CDU/CSU is likely to get a majority as both said they were targeting coalitions. Opinion polls earlier had suggested a knife-edge battle between the two arch-rivals. The new leader will take over the reins from Chancellor Angela Merkel who had expressed her intention to step down after the elections after 16 years at the top. Also Read: German elections: What you need to know about race for chancellor Armin Laschet, 60, was pushed by Angela Merkel as her likely successor, however, Olaf Scholz the leader of the SPD is now the favourite to succeed Merkel. Scholz who is widely known for his tenacity has been the finance minister and vice-chancellor under Merkel. Also Read: Germany to elect new chancellor, polls predict tight race The party which comes to power finally will have the task to continue the battle against the virus and keep Germany's economy rolling. The fight for the top job is however far from over as both Laschet & Scholz expressed their desire to cobble a coaltion before Christmas. (With inputs from Agencies)

German elections: SPD registers narrow victory over CDU-CSU alliance; coalition likely

Germans began voting in the national elections on Sunday in a tight race between Social Democrats (SPD) and Merkel's CDU-CSU conservative alliance.

Olaf Scholz is heading the Social Democrat (SPD) while Merkel has backed Armin Laschet of the CDU-CSU.&nbsp;

Merkel had earlier announced she will be stepping down as Chancellor after the polls ending her reign which has lasted for sixteen years as Europe's most powerful economy enters a new phase.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/german-federal-elections-2021-what-you-need-to-know-about-race-to-become-chancellor-416151">German federal elections 2021: What you need to know about race to become chancellor</a> 
 
Ahead of the elections, opinion polls suggested the elections were too close to call with Social Democrats just ahead by two points against the CDU-CSU alliance.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/germany-outcome-uncertain-coalition-government-likely-416057">Watch: Germany- Outcome uncertain, coalition government likely</a>

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Experts say the huge number of undecided voters may swing the results with 60 million eligible voters set to exercise their franchise.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germany-elections-angela-merkel-makes-final-push-for-successor-in-germanys-knife-edge-polls-416007">Also Read:&nbsp;Angela Merkel makes final push for successor in Germany's knife-edge polls</a>

Olaf Scholz, 63, is eying the top post even as Merkel's candidate Armin Laschet, 60, has dug for a pitched battle during the election campaign.

Merkel has been in power since 2005, however, the current polls are set to usher in a new leader as Europe emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germanys-far-right-is-nowhere-in-the-election-but-its-here-to-stay-414856">Also Read:&nbsp;Germany’s far-right is nowhere in the election. But it’s ‘here to stay.’</a>

Experts suggest Greens and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) may play a key role if neither the CDU-CSU nor the SPD gain enough seats even though Scholz said he was hoping his party along with the Greens will garner enough support to form the next government.

Scholz said, "The stronger the SPD, the easier it will be to form a coalition," while adding, "I don't know what will be possible but maybe it is possible for example to form an SPD-Greens coalition. I believe it is possible."

(With inputs from Agencies)&nbsp;

Germans began voting in the national elections on Sunday in a tight race between Social Democrats (SPD) and Merkel's CDU-CSU conservative alliance. Olaf Scholz is heading the Social Democrat (SPD) while Merkel has backed Armin Laschet of the CDU-CSU.

Germans began voting in the national elections on Sunday in a tight race between Social Democrats (SPD) and Merkel's CDU-CSU conservative alliance. Olaf Scholz is heading the Social Democrat (SPD) while Merkel has backed Armin Laschet of the CDU-CSU. Merkel had earlier announced she will be stepping down as Chancellor after the polls ending her reign which has lasted for sixteen years as Europe's most powerful economy enters a new phase. Also Read | German federal elections 2021: What you need to know about race to become chancellor Ahead of the elections, opinion polls suggested the elections were too close to call with Social Democrats just ahead by two points against the CDU-CSU alliance. Watch: Germany- Outcome uncertain, coalition government likely Experts say the huge number of undecided voters may swing the results with 60 million eligible voters set to exercise their franchise. Also Read: Angela Merkel makes final push for successor in Germany's knife-edge polls Olaf Scholz, 63, is eying the top post even as Merkel's candidate Armin Laschet, 60, has dug for a pitched battle during the election campaign. Merkel has been in power since 2005, however, the current polls are set to usher in a new leader as Europe emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. Also Read: Germany’s far-right is nowhere in the election. But it’s ‘here to stay.’ Experts suggest Greens and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) may play a key role if neither the CDU-CSU nor the SPD gain enough seats even though Scholz said he was hoping his party along with the Greens will garner enough support to form the next government. Scholz said, "The stronger the SPD, the easier it will be to form a coalition," while adding, "I don't know what will be possible but maybe it is possible for example to form an SPD-Greens coalition. I believe it is possible." (With inputs from Agencies)

Polls open in Germany to elect new chancellor; SPD, CDU-CSU in tight race

In pictures: A look back at German Chancellor Angela Merkel's career 

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday urged Germans to give her would-be successor Armin Laschet their vote to shape Germany's future, in a last-ditch push to shore up his beleaguered campaign 24 hours before Germans vote.

Laschet, 60, has been trailing his Social Democrat challenger Olaf Scholz in the race for the chancellery, although final polls put the gap between them within the margin of error, making the vote one of the most unpredictable in recent years. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/farewell-angela-merkel-you-were-once-the-leader-of-the-free-world-415832">Also read | Farewell, Angela Merkel. You were once the ‘Leader of the Free World’</a>

Merkel had planned to keep a low profile in the election battle as she prepares to bow out of politics after 16 years in power. But she has found herself dragged into the frantic campaign schedule of the unpopular chairman of her party, Laschet. 
 
Watch | Gravitas US Edition: Memes &amp; memories — Merkel era ends in Germany

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In the last week of the campaign, Merkel took Laschet to her constituency by the Baltic coast and on Friday headlined the closing rally gathering the conservatives' bigwigs in Munich.

Merkel tugged at the heartstrings of Germany's predominantly older electorate on Friday, calling on them to keep her conservatives in power for the sake of stability -- a trademark of Germany.

A day before the vote, she travelled to Laschet's hometown and constituency, Aachen, a spa city near Germany's western border with Belgium and the Netherlands, where he was born and still lives.

"It is about your future, the future of your children and the future of your parents," she said at her last rally before the polls, urging strong mobilisation for her conservative alliance.

Climate high on agenda

She underlined that climate protection would be a key challenge of the next government, but that this would not be achieved "simply through rules and regulations.

"For that we need new technological developments, new procedures, researchers, interested people who think about how that can be done, and people who participate," she said.&nbsp;

Laschet is a "bridge-builder who will get people on board" in shaping Germany to meet those challenges, she said.

Hundreds of thousands of people descended on the streets on Friday urging change and greater climate protection, with a leading activist calling Sunday's election the vote "of a century".

On Saturday, Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg told a rally near Germany's Garzweiler mine, one of the biggest in Europe, that the elections "are not going to resolve the crisis, whatever the outcome".

"You're going to have to keep mobilising, organising and taking to the streets," she said.

With the clock ticking down to the election, Scholz was also staying close to home at the other end of the country to chase down last votes.

Taking questions from voters in his constituency of Potsdam -- a city on the outskirts of Berlin famous for its palaces that once housed Prussian kings, -- Scholz said he was fighting for "a major change in this country, a new government" led by him.&nbsp;

He also gave a glimpse of the future government he hopes to lead, saying that "perhaps it may be enough to, for instance, form a government between the SPD and the Greens".

Scholz, currently finance minister in Merkel's coalition government, has avoided making mistakes on the campaign trail, and largely won backing as he sold himself as the "continuity candidate" after Merkel in place of Laschet.

Described as capable but boring, Scholz has consistently beaten Laschet by wide margins when it comes to popularity.

'Could backfire'

As election day loomed, Laschet's conservatives were closing the gap, with one poll even putting them just one percentage point behind the SPD's 26 percent.

Laschet went into the race for the chancellery badly bruised by a tough battle for the conservatives' chancellor candidate nomination.

Nevertheless, his party enjoyed a substantial lead ahead of the SPD heading into the summer.

But Laschet was seen chuckling behind President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as he paid tribute to victims of deadly floods in July, an image that would drastically turn the mood against him and his party.

As polls showed the lead widening for the SPD, the conservatives turned to their greatest asset -- the still widely popular Merkel.

Yet roping in the chancellor is not without risks, said political analyst Oskar Niedermayer of Berlin's Free University.

"Merkel is still the most well-liked politician. But the joint appearances can become a problem for Laschet because they are then immediately compared to each other, " he said.

"And it could therefore backfire because people could then think that Merkel is more suitable than Laschet."

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday urged Germans to give her would-be successor Armin Laschet their vote to shape Germany's future, in a last-ditch push to shore up his beleaguered campaign 24 hours before Germans vote.

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday urged Germans to give her would-be successor Armin Laschet their vote to shape Germany's future, in a last-ditch push to shore up his beleaguered campaign 24 hours before Germans vote. Laschet, 60, has been trailing his Social Democrat challenger Olaf Scholz in the race for the chancellery, although final polls put the gap between them within the margin of error, making the vote one of the most unpredictable in recent years. Also read | Farewell, Angela Merkel. You were once the ‘Leader of the Free World’ Merkel had planned to keep a low profile in the election battle as she prepares to bow out of politics after 16 years in power. But she has found herself dragged into the frantic campaign schedule of the unpopular chairman of her party, Laschet. Watch | Gravitas US Edition: Memes & memories — Merkel era ends in Germany In the last week of the campaign, Merkel took Laschet to her constituency by the Baltic coast and on Friday headlined the closing rally gathering the conservatives' bigwigs in Munich. Merkel tugged at the heartstrings of Germany's predominantly older electorate on Friday, calling on them to keep her conservatives in power for the sake of stability -- a trademark of Germany. A day before the vote, she travelled to Laschet's hometown and constituency, Aachen, a spa city near Germany's western border with Belgium and the Netherlands, where he was born and still lives. "It is about your future, the future of your children and the future of your parents," she said at her last rally before the polls, urging strong mobilisation for her conservative alliance. Climate high on agenda She underlined that climate protection would be a key challenge of the next government, but that this would not be achieved "simply through rules and regulations. "For that we need new technological developments, new procedures, researchers, interested people who think about how that can be done, and people who participate," she said. Laschet is a "bridge-builder who will get people on board" in shaping Germany to meet those challenges, she said. Hundreds of thousands of people descended on the streets on Friday urging change and greater climate protection, with a leading activist calling Sunday's election the vote "of a century". On Saturday, Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg told a rally near Germany's Garzweiler mine, one of the biggest in Europe, that the elections "are not going to resolve the crisis, whatever the outcome". "You're going to have to keep mobilising, organising and taking to the streets," she said. With the clock ticking down to the election, Scholz was also staying close to home at the other end of the country to chase down last votes. Taking questions from voters in his constituency of Potsdam -- a city on the outskirts of Berlin famous for its palaces that once housed Prussian kings, -- Scholz said he was fighting for "a major change in this country, a new government" led by him. He also gave a glimpse of the future government he hopes to lead, saying that "perhaps it may be enough to, for instance, form a government between the SPD and the Greens". Scholz, currently finance minister in Merkel's coalition government, has avoided making mistakes on the campaign trail, and largely won backing as he sold himself as the "continuity candidate" after Merkel in place of Laschet. Described as capable but boring, Scholz has consistently beaten Laschet by wide margins when it comes to popularity. 'Could backfire' As election day loomed, Laschet's conservatives were closing the gap, with one poll even putting them just one percentage point behind the SPD's 26 percent. Laschet went into the race for the chancellery badly bruised by a tough battle for the conservatives' chancellor candidate nomination. Nevertheless, his party enjoyed a substantial lead ahead of the SPD heading into the summer. But Laschet was seen chuckling behind President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as he paid tribute to victims of deadly floods in July, an image that would drastically turn the mood against him and his party. As polls showed the lead widening for the SPD, the conservatives turned to their greatest asset -- the still widely popular Merkel. Yet roping in the chancellor is not without risks, said political analyst Oskar Niedermayer of Berlin's Free University. "Merkel is still the most well-liked politician. But the joint appearances can become a problem for Laschet because they are then immediately compared to each other, " he said. "And it could therefore backfire because people could then think that Merkel is more suitable than Laschet."

Germany elections: Angela Merkel makes final push for successor in Germany's knife-edge polls

With Germany's Green party leading the polls ahead of September's general&nbsp;elections, the ecologists' would-be successor to Angela Merkel has become increasingly&nbsp;targeted&nbsp;by internet trolls and&nbsp;fake&nbsp;news in recent weeks.

From wild claims about CO2-emitting cats and dogs to George Soros photo collages, 40-year-old Annalena Baerbock has been the subject of a dizzying array of&nbsp;fake&nbsp;news, conspiracy theories and online attacks since she was announced as the&nbsp;Greens' chancellor candidate in mid-April.&nbsp;

The latest polls have the&nbsp;Greens&nbsp;either ahead of or level with Merkel's ruling conservatives, as the once fringe party further establishes itself as a leading electoral force in Europe's biggest economy.

Baerbock herself also consistently polls higher than her conservative and centre-left rivals in the race to succeed Merkel, who will leave office after 16 years this autumn.

Yet her popularity has also brought about unwanted attention and a glut of&nbsp;fake&nbsp;news stories aimed at discrediting Baerbock as she bids to become Germany's first Green chancellor.

False claims&nbsp;

Among the false stories circulating about Baerbock is the bizarre claim that she wants to ban household pets in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.&nbsp;

Another&nbsp;fake&nbsp;story firmly denied by the party claimed that she defied rules on mask-wearing and social-distancing by embracing colleagues upon her nomination earlier this month.

Baerbock has also been presented as a "model student" of Hungarian billionaire George Soros, a hate figure for the European far-right and anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists, in a mocked-up social media graphic, shared among others by a far-right MP.

More serious online attacks include a purported photo of Baerbock which in fact shows a similar-looking naked model.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Greens' campaign manager Michael Kellner said that the attempts to discredit Baerbock had "taken on a&nbsp;new&nbsp;dimension", that "women are&nbsp;targeted&nbsp;more heavily by online attacks than men, and that is also true of our candidate".&nbsp;

Other false claims about the party include reports of a proposed ban on barbecues, as well as plans to disarm the police and enforce the teaching of the Quran in schools.&nbsp;

While such reports are patently absurd, they are potentially damaging to Baerbock and her party as they bid to spring a surprise victory in September.

"She has a very real chance, but the coming weeks are going to be very important because Baerbock's public image is still taking shape," Thorsten Faas, a political scientist&nbsp;at Berlin's Free University told AFP.

In a bid to fight back against the flood of false information, the party has launched a&nbsp;new&nbsp;"online fire service" to report&nbsp;fake&nbsp;news stories.&nbsp;

Russian disinformation&nbsp;

Yet stemming the tide is no easy job, with many of those who peddle disinformation now using private messaging services such as WhatsApp and Telegram rather than public platforms such as Facebook.

The pandemic and ongoing restrictions on public life will also make it harder for the campaign to push through their own narratives at public events.&nbsp;

Miro Dittrich of Germany's Amadeu-Antonio anti-racism foundation claims that lockdown has "played a role" in the spread of&nbsp;fake&nbsp;news.&nbsp;

"People are isolated from their social environment and are spending a lot more time online," he said.&nbsp;

Another factor is Russia, which has made Germany a primary target of its efforts to spread disinformation in Europe.&nbsp;

According to the European anti-disinformation platform EUvsDisinfo, Germany has been the target of 700 Russian disinformation cases since 2015, compared to 300 aimed at France and 170 at Italy.&nbsp;

As an outspoken critic of the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Germany and Russia, Baerbock may well become a target of such attacks during the&nbsp;election&nbsp;campaign.

With Germany's Green party leading the polls ahead of September's general elections, the ecologists' would-be successor to Angela Merkel has become increasingly targeted by internet trolls and fake news in recent weeks.

With Germany's Green party leading the polls ahead of September's general elections, the ecologists' would-be successor to Angela Merkel has become increasingly targeted by internet trolls and fake news in recent weeks. From wild claims about CO2-emitting cats and dogs to George Soros photo collages, 40-year-old Annalena Baerbock has been the subject of a dizzying array of fake news, conspiracy theories and online attacks since she was announced as the Greens' chancellor candidate in mid-April. The latest polls have the Greens either ahead of or level with Merkel's ruling conservatives, as the once fringe party further establishes itself as a leading electoral force in Europe's biggest economy. Baerbock herself also consistently polls higher than her conservative and centre-left rivals in the race to succeed Merkel, who will leave office after 16 years this autumn. Yet her popularity has also brought about unwanted attention and a glut of fake news stories aimed at discrediting Baerbock as she bids to become Germany's first Green chancellor. False claims Among the false stories circulating about Baerbock is the bizarre claim that she wants to ban household pets in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Another fake story firmly denied by the party claimed that she defied rules on mask-wearing and social-distancing by embracing colleagues upon her nomination earlier this month. Baerbock has also been presented as a "model student" of Hungarian billionaire George Soros, a hate figure for the European far-right and anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists, in a mocked-up social media graphic, shared among others by a far-right MP. More serious online attacks include a purported photo of Baerbock which in fact shows a similar-looking naked model. The Greens' campaign manager Michael Kellner said that the attempts to discredit Baerbock had "taken on a new dimension", that "women are targeted more heavily by online attacks than men, and that is also true of our candidate". Other false claims about the party include reports of a proposed ban on barbecues, as well as plans to disarm the police and enforce the teaching of the Quran in schools. While such reports are patently absurd, they are potentially damaging to Baerbock and her party as they bid to spring a surprise victory in September. "She has a very real chance, but the coming weeks are going to be very important because Baerbock's public image is still taking shape," Thorsten Faas, a political scientist at Berlin's Free University told AFP. In a bid to fight back against the flood of false information, the party has launched a new "online fire service" to report fake news stories. Russian disinformation Yet stemming the tide is no easy job, with many of those who peddle disinformation now using private messaging services such as WhatsApp and Telegram rather than public platforms such as Facebook. The pandemic and ongoing restrictions on public life will also make it harder for the campaign to push through their own narratives at public events. Miro Dittrich of Germany's Amadeu-Antonio anti-racism foundation claims that lockdown has "played a role" in the spread of fake news. "People are isolated from their social environment and are spending a lot more time online," he said. Another factor is Russia, which has made Germany a primary target of its efforts to spread disinformation in Europe. According to the European anti-disinformation platform EUvsDisinfo, Germany has been the target of 700 Russian disinformation cases since 2015, compared to 300 aimed at France and 170 at Italy. As an outspoken critic of the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Germany and Russia, Baerbock may well become a target of such attacks during the election campaign.

German Greens' election hopeful targeted by fake news

BERLIN — Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has placed the far-right Alternative for Germany under observation as a potential threat to the country’s democracy, officials said Wednesday, setting the stage for a battle between the state and a party that is the main opposition in Parliament.

It is the first time in Germany’s postwar history that a party represented in the federal Parliament has elicited such intense scrutiny, and it highlights an uneasy question facing the country’s institutions: What to do with a party that is considered a danger to democracy — but is popular in parts of the country and has become entrenched at all levels of politics?

That question has particular resonance in an election year that will see Angela Merkel step down after 16 years as chancellor, a tenure in which she became a symbol of a Germany that has learned from its history and welcomes refugees.

The leaders of the Alternative for Germany, AfD, as the party is known, routinely accuse Muslim immigrants of being criminals, attack the press and question the universalist principles of liberal democracy.

During the coronavirus pandemic, AfD officials have taken part in protests that have at times turned violent, in one case infiltrating protesters into the Parliament building. Yet, even as it has become more radicalized, the party has established a presence in Parliament and state legislatures across the country.

Increasingly concerned about the party’s positions, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, as the domestic intelligence agency is known here, has spent two years scrutinizing the speeches and social media posts of AfD officials.

A year ago the intelligence agency classified the most radical wing of the party and its youth organization as extremist and said it would place some of its most influential leaders under surveillance.

Since then, this radical wing is suspected of having extended its influence in the party, officials say, prompting the agency to investigate the entire party for extremism. The latest decision stops short of classifying the AfD as extremist, but it clears the way for the agency to place it under surveillance to determine if it is.

Members of the AfD responded with outrage Wednesday, vowing to take legal measures and insinuating that the move was politically motivated.

“The intelligence agency is acting purely politically when it comes to the AfD,” Alice Weidel, a prominent party leader, wrote on Twitter. “Given the state and federal elections this year that is particularly remarkable.”

Another AfD lawmaker, Jürgen Braun, sounded a similar theme.

“You know you’re living in Germany,” he wrote on Twitter, “when one and a half weeks ahead of two important regional elections and a few months before the national election the domestic secret service declares the biggest opposition party to be suspicious."

The decision was reached last week but was not publicly announced, pending an ongoing court case the AfD has brought to stop the measures against it.

Last month an administrative court in Cologne ruled that the intelligence office, known here as the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, or its German initials BfV, was allowed to start investigating the AfD for extremism.

The agency would not comment on the case Wednesday. But German officials, who requested anonymity given the sensitivities of an ongoing court case, confirmed the decision.

“Due to the ongoing legal proceedings and out of respect for the court the BfV does not give any public statements on this matter,” the intelligence agency said in an emailed statement.

The founding mission of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution after World War II was to protect against the rise of political forces — primarily another Nazi party — that could once again threaten Germany’s democracy.

“We take that mission very seriously,” Thomas Haldenwang, the president of the agency, said at a news conference last year, after labeling part of the AfD as extremist.

“We know from German history that far-right extremism didn’t just destroy human lives; it destroyed democracy,” he said. “Far-right extremism and far-right terrorism are currently the biggest danger for democracy in Germany.”

BERLIN — Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has placed the far-right Alternative for Germany under observation as a potential threat to the country’s democracy, officials said Wednesday, setting the stage for a battle between the state and a party that is the main opposition in Parliament.

BERLIN — Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has placed the far-right Alternative for Germany under observation as a potential threat to the country’s democracy, officials said Wednesday, setting the stage for a battle between the state and a party that is the main opposition in Parliament. It is the first time in Germany’s postwar history that a party represented in the federal Parliament has elicited such intense scrutiny, and it highlights an uneasy question facing the country’s institutions: What to do with a party that is considered a danger to democracy — but is popular in parts of the country and has become entrenched at all levels of politics? That question has particular resonance in an election year that will see Angela Merkel step down after 16 years as chancellor, a tenure in which she became a symbol of a Germany that has learned from its history and welcomes refugees. The leaders of the Alternative for Germany, AfD, as the party is known, routinely accuse Muslim immigrants of being criminals, attack the press and question the universalist principles of liberal democracy. During the coronavirus pandemic, AfD officials have taken part in protests that have at times turned violent, in one case infiltrating protesters into the Parliament building. Yet, even as it has become more radicalized, the party has established a presence in Parliament and state legislatures across the country. Increasingly concerned about the party’s positions, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, as the domestic intelligence agency is known here, has spent two years scrutinizing the speeches and social media posts of AfD officials. A year ago the intelligence agency classified the most radical wing of the party and its youth organization as extremist and said it would place some of its most influential leaders under surveillance. Since then, this radical wing is suspected of having extended its influence in the party, officials say, prompting the agency to investigate the entire party for extremism. The latest decision stops short of classifying the AfD as extremist, but it clears the way for the agency to place it under surveillance to determine if it is. Members of the AfD responded with outrage Wednesday, vowing to take legal measures and insinuating that the move was politically motivated. “The intelligence agency is acting purely politically when it comes to the AfD,” Alice Weidel, a prominent party leader, wrote on Twitter. “Given the state and federal elections this year that is particularly remarkable.” Another AfD lawmaker, Jürgen Braun, sounded a similar theme. “You know you’re living in Germany,” he wrote on Twitter, “when one and a half weeks ahead of two important regional elections and a few months before the national election the domestic secret service declares the biggest opposition party to be suspicious." The decision was reached last week but was not publicly announced, pending an ongoing court case the AfD has brought to stop the measures against it. Last month an administrative court in Cologne ruled that the intelligence office, known here as the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, or its German initials BfV, was allowed to start investigating the AfD for extremism. The agency would not comment on the case Wednesday. But German officials, who requested anonymity given the sensitivities of an ongoing court case, confirmed the decision. “Due to the ongoing legal proceedings and out of respect for the court the BfV does not give any public statements on this matter,” the intelligence agency said in an emailed statement. The founding mission of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution after World War II was to protect against the rise of political forces — primarily another Nazi party — that could once again threaten Germany’s democracy. “We take that mission very seriously,” Thomas Haldenwang, the president of the agency, said at a news conference last year, after labeling part of the AfD as extremist. “We know from German history that far-right extremism didn’t just destroy human lives; it destroyed democracy,” he said. “Far-right extremism and far-right terrorism are currently the biggest danger for democracy in Germany.”

Germany places far-right AfD party under surveillance for extremism

Hours after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/weakened-angela-merkel-wins-fourth-term-hit-by-nationalist-earthquake-20579">the success of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party</a> in the German elections, one of its most prominent leaders Frauke Petry parted ways with her party, stating there were &quot;disagreements over content&quot;.

She said she could not stand with an &quot;anarchistic party&quot; that lacked a credible plan to govern and said she would sit in parliament as an independent.

The 42-year-old chemist stormed out of a press conference in which she had sat with her newly-elected colleagues and said she would like to have a &quot;conservative new start&quot;.

&quot;I&#39;ve decided I won&#39;t be part of the AfD&#39;s group in the German parliament but will initially be an individual member of parliament in the lower house,&quot; Petry said as she left the party&#39;s news conference.

On Facebook, she criticised party members for their extreme statements.

In a jolt to chancellor Angela Merkel, the anti-immigrant AfD won 12.6 per cent of the votes in Sunday&#39;s election making the party the first far-right group to win seats in the Bundestag since the 1950s.

Petry, who served as co-leader of the AfD, had come into conflict with other senior figures in the party in the last few months, saying she understood why some voters were alarmed at some of their radical rhetoric.

She had distanced herself from other top AfD candidates before the election and was also criticised for not supporting Bjoern Hoecke, a senior party official she wanted to have expelled for denying that Adolf Hitler was evil and calling Berlin&#39;s Holocaust Memorial a &quot;monument of shame&quot;.

Petry was once considered a radical for transforming the AfD from an obscure group opposed to euro zone financial bailouts into Germany&#39;s leading anti-immigration party.

Analysts say it is unlikely that Petry&rsquo;s sudden departure will mean much for the party.

The AfD has long been riven by infighting. Commentators have predicted that its divisions could be amplified by its entry onto the national political stage.

Frauke Petry parted ways with her party, stating she could not stand with an 'anarchistic party' that lacked a credible plan to govern

Hours after the success of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the German elections, one of its most prominent leaders Frauke Petry parted ways with her party, stating there were "disagreements over content". She said she could not stand with an "anarchistic party" that lacked a credible plan to govern and said she would sit in parliament as an independent. The 42-year-old chemist stormed out of a press conference in which she had sat with her newly-elected colleagues and said she would like to have a "conservative new start". "I've decided I won't be part of the AfD's group in the German parliament but will initially be an individual member of parliament in the lower house," Petry said as she left the party's news conference. On Facebook, she criticised party members for their extreme statements. In a jolt to chancellor Angela Merkel, the anti-immigrant AfD won 12.6 per cent of the votes in Sunday's election making the party the first far-right group to win seats in the Bundestag since the 1950s. Petry, who served as co-leader of the AfD, had come into conflict with other senior figures in the party in the last few months, saying she understood why some voters were alarmed at some of their radical rhetoric. She had distanced herself from other top AfD candidates before the election and was also criticised for not supporting Bjoern Hoecke, a senior party official she wanted to have expelled for denying that Adolf Hitler was evil and calling Berlin's Holocaust Memorial a "monument of shame". Petry was once considered a radical for transforming the AfD from an obscure group opposed to euro zone financial bailouts into Germany's leading anti-immigration party. Analysts say it is unlikely that Petry’s sudden departure will mean much for the party. The AfD has long been riven by infighting. Commentators have predicted that its divisions could be amplified by its entry onto the national political stage.

Germany: Prominent AfD leader quits party hours after election success

By Padma Rao Sundarji, Sr Foreign Editor, WION

Many details of the life of German Chancellor Angela Merkel have been in the public domain for years. That she&nbsp;belongs to the Uckermark --&nbsp;a region in Germany&#39;s Brandenburg which was formerly the German Democratic Republic or East Germany --&nbsp;but was born in the west German harbour town Hamburg. We also know that she graduated in physics and worked as a research scientist&nbsp;before she entered politics.

Today,&nbsp;she&nbsp;is known as the most powerful woman in the world. Angela Merkel is slated to win a record fourth term and remains -- a likeable, humble personality endowed with sharp political prowess.

WION&#39;s Padma Rao Sundarji compiles some not so well-known facts and some of the Powerfrau&rsquo;s softer sides. 
&nbsp; 
The Legend of Paul and Paula, a 1973 German movie in which the heroine dies, leaving behind her lover and three children, is her favourite film.

She is partly of Polish descent --&nbsp;her maiden name was Angela Kazmierczak -- which, after the family moved to Germany, became Kasner.

She bought her first Beatles record &nbsp;in Moscow, lived in a crumbling apartment in communist East Berlin and even had a job as a barwoman in a discotheque.

Six books including one titled &ldquo;50 Shades of Angela Merkel&rdquo; have attempted - not very successfully - to unveil her fiercely guarded private life and earlier one as an East German.

Angela Merkel is a member of the Communist Youth Movement, during which she is said to have been in charge of propaganda at an academy of sciences.

Italy is a favourite holiday destination and she vacationed there recently with her grandchildren.

The &quot;Iron Chancellor&quot;&nbsp;is known to possess mean baking skills: &nbsp;her plum cake, meatloaf and potato soup are renowned for their perfection. 
 
She goes shopping for groceries herself whenever she can, even queuing up at check-out counters. 
 
&nbsp;The Chancellor is frightened of dogs since she suffered a dog-bite in the mid-Nineties. 
 
She was originally married to a fellow student of physics, Ulrich Merkel. The couple divorced in 1983. A year later, she married Joachim Sauer, a notoriously shy theoretical chemist.&nbsp;The couple have &nbsp;two sons from Mr Sauer&#39;s earlier marriage. 
 
Chancellor Merkel&#39;s characteristic steepling of her hands, known as the &quot;Merkel-Raute is seen on many pictures. It even has its own emoticon. 
&nbsp; 
It may have started as a dig by her political opponents but the term &lsquo;&rsquo;Mutti&rdquo; (mummy) is often used affectionately by Germans when they speak of their Chancellor.

WION's Padma Rao Sundarji compiles some not so well-known facts and some of the Powerfrau?s softer sides.

By Padma Rao Sundarji, Sr Foreign Editor, WION Many details of the life of German Chancellor Angela Merkel have been in the public domain for years. That she belongs to the Uckermark -- a region in Germany's Brandenburg which was formerly the German Democratic Republic or East Germany -- but was born in the west German harbour town Hamburg. We also know that she graduated in physics and worked as a research scientist before she entered politics. Today, she is known as the most powerful woman in the world. Angela Merkel is slated to win a record fourth term and remains -- a likeable, humble personality endowed with sharp political prowess. WION's Padma Rao Sundarji compiles some not so well-known facts and some of the Powerfrau’s softer sides. The Legend of Paul and Paula, a 1973 German movie in which the heroine dies, leaving behind her lover and three children, is her favourite film. She is partly of Polish descent -- her maiden name was Angela Kazmierczak -- which, after the family moved to Germany, became Kasner. She bought her first Beatles record in Moscow, lived in a crumbling apartment in communist East Berlin and even had a job as a barwoman in a discotheque. Six books including one titled “50 Shades of Angela Merkel” have attempted - not very successfully - to unveil her fiercely guarded private life and earlier one as an East German. Angela Merkel is a member of the Communist Youth Movement, during which she is said to have been in charge of propaganda at an academy of sciences. Italy is a favourite holiday destination and she vacationed there recently with her grandchildren. The "Iron Chancellor" is known to possess mean baking skills: her plum cake, meatloaf and potato soup are renowned for their perfection. She goes shopping for groceries herself whenever she can, even queuing up at check-out counters. The Chancellor is frightened of dogs since she suffered a dog-bite in the mid-Nineties. She was originally married to a fellow student of physics, Ulrich Merkel. The couple divorced in 1983. A year later, she married Joachim Sauer, a notoriously shy theoretical chemist. The couple have two sons from Mr Sauer's earlier marriage. Chancellor Merkel's characteristic steepling of her hands, known as the "Merkel-Raute is seen on many pictures. It even has its own emoticon. It may have started as a dig by her political opponents but the term ‘’Mutti” (mummy) is often used affectionately by Germans when they speak of their Chancellor.

Lesser known facts about Angela Merkel, set to return as Germany's Chancellor

By&nbsp;Padma Rao Sundarji, Sr Foreign Editor, WION

Europe&rsquo;s biggest country Germany is all set for a weekend blockbuster, the big election, which the world will be watching. Germany goes to the polls every four years and will be electing its new Parliament - and in all likelihood, its existing Chancellor Angela Merkel back to the helm for a record fourth term.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Though Merkel has a commanding lead, there are other candidates vying for Berlin&#39;s top job.&nbsp;

Here&rsquo;s a look at the all those in the running&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Merkel&rsquo;s liberal-conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is represented in all states or L&auml;nder of Germany except Bavaria. &nbsp;It governs Germany together with its cousin party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) which is present only in the southern free state of Bavaria, and in a grand coalition with its big rival, the Social Democrat Party (SPD). Consequently, the CDU/CSU grouping - the Union, as it is referred to - has two candidates for chancellor - Angela Merkel of the CDU and Joachim Hermann of the CSU. 
&nbsp; 
The SPD&rsquo;s candidate for Chancellor is Martin Schulz. The 62-year-old book seller joined the Social Democrats at age 19. After triumphing over alcoholism, he put in a stint as a mayor and was later elected to the European Parliament (EP) where he first represented the SPD for eight years and then stayed on for another five as the president of the EP. Schulz speaks five European languages and is an avowed supporter of the European Union.

&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

After these giants, there&rsquo;s the Free Democratic Party (FDP), which follows a liberal ideology. Christian Lindner is the young, hip face of the party which was ignominiously shunted out of Parliament in the last election. And with a catchy new campaign and a candidate to match, the FDP is not only expected to make the &lsquo;five per cent hurdle&rsquo; - a key feature of German politics which allows candidates of a party to go to Parliament only if they receive five per cent of the votes - but may even find itself in a coalition with Merkel&rsquo;s CDU. Lindner, 38, is a graduate of political science who more than knows how to work the media: He is married to the deputy editor-in-chief of Europe&rsquo;s largest daily. 
&nbsp; 
And then there is the Green Party. In environment-conscious Germany, the party will make it into Parliament but will remain - for a lack of enterprise and new ideas - at the bottom of the heap. And like with other twin groups, there are two aspirants for the Chancellor&rsquo;s post - Katrin-G&ouml;ring Eckard, a theologist, and Cem &Ouml;zdemir, a teacher of Turkish origin who joined the greens at 16 and became a German citizen at age 18. 
&nbsp; 
A controversial debut by a party sure to enter Parliament will be that of the AFD, or Alternative f&uuml;r Deutschland. Some say the AFD is going to beat all smaller parties - even the FDP. &nbsp;A right-wing alternative for Germany, the AFD will be fielding 77-year-old lawyer Alexander Gauland and the young and outspoken Alice Weidel. It is no coincidence that both right-wingers are from eastern Germany, where distrust of foreigners - specifically Muslims - runs high and where the AFD enjoys its strongest support base. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
And finally, there&rsquo;s Die Linke or the Left. The German economy is on the upswing. Exports are booming, unemployment is down. There are other problems of course, but surveys show that socialism is not on top of German minds. Consequently the twin outfit comprising of former East and West German Leftists, are expected to make it to Parliament, but will languish at the bottom of the heap. Their candidates are former social scientist Dietmar Barsch and the erudite graduate of literature, Sahra Wagenknecht.

Watch:

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Europe?s biggest country Germany is all set for a weekend blockbuster, the big election, which the world will be watching

By Padma Rao Sundarji, Sr Foreign Editor, WION Europe’s biggest country Germany is all set for a weekend blockbuster, the big election, which the world will be watching. Germany goes to the polls every four years and will be electing its new Parliament - and in all likelihood, its existing Chancellor Angela Merkel back to the helm for a record fourth term. Though Merkel has a commanding lead, there are other candidates vying for Berlin's top job. Here’s a look at the all those in the running Merkel’s liberal-conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is represented in all states or Länder of Germany except Bavaria. It governs Germany together with its cousin party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) which is present only in the southern free state of Bavaria, and in a grand coalition with its big rival, the Social Democrat Party (SPD). Consequently, the CDU/CSU grouping - the Union, as it is referred to - has two candidates for chancellor - Angela Merkel of the CDU and Joachim Hermann of the CSU. The SPD’s candidate for Chancellor is Martin Schulz. The 62-year-old book seller joined the Social Democrats at age 19. After triumphing over alcoholism, he put in a stint as a mayor and was later elected to the European Parliament (EP) where he first represented the SPD for eight years and then stayed on for another five as the president of the EP. Schulz speaks five European languages and is an avowed supporter of the European Union. After these giants, there’s the Free Democratic Party (FDP), which follows a liberal ideology. Christian Lindner is the young, hip face of the party which was ignominiously shunted out of Parliament in the last election. And with a catchy new campaign and a candidate to match, the FDP is not only expected to make the ‘five per cent hurdle’ - a key feature of German politics which allows candidates of a party to go to Parliament only if they receive five per cent of the votes - but may even find itself in a coalition with Merkel’s CDU. Lindner, 38, is a graduate of political science who more than knows how to work the media: He is married to the deputy editor-in-chief of Europe’s largest daily. And then there is the Green Party. In environment-conscious Germany, the party will make it into Parliament but will remain - for a lack of enterprise and new ideas - at the bottom of the heap. And like with other twin groups, there are two aspirants for the Chancellor’s post - Katrin-Göring Eckard, a theologist, and Cem Özdemir, a teacher of Turkish origin who joined the greens at 16 and became a German citizen at age 18. A controversial debut by a party sure to enter Parliament will be that of the AFD, or Alternative für Deutschland. Some say the AFD is going to beat all smaller parties - even the FDP. A right-wing alternative for Germany, the AFD will be fielding 77-year-old lawyer Alexander Gauland and the young and outspoken Alice Weidel. It is no coincidence that both right-wingers are from eastern Germany, where distrust of foreigners - specifically Muslims - runs high and where the AFD enjoys its strongest support base. And finally, there’s Die Linke or the Left. The German economy is on the upswing. Exports are booming, unemployment is down. There are other problems of course, but surveys show that socialism is not on top of German minds. Consequently the twin outfit comprising of former East and West German Leftists, are expected to make it to Parliament, but will languish at the bottom of the heap. Their candidates are former social scientist Dietmar Barsch and the erudite graduate of literature, Sahra Wagenknecht. Watch:

Germany elections: Main parties, their ideologies and who is likely to win?

What does it mean to be German? A minister close to Chancellor Angela Merkel has kicked off a divisive election-year debate about cultural identity,&nbsp;earning him praise, ridicule and charges of immigrant-bashing.

Some say it&#39;s high time to define shared values as Germany seeks to integrate more than a million mostly Muslim asylum seekers who arrived since 2015 under Merkel&#39;s open-door policy.

Others have slammed the initiative as a grab for right-wing voters who threaten to drift off to the nationalist, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in September elections.

The eye-catching opening salvo was fired by Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere in the top-selling tabloid Bild on Sunday.

The front page showed the politician in charge of police and migrant affairs before the national colours black, red and gold, with the grammatically dubious headline &quot;We Are Not Burka&quot;.

In a double-page spread, de Maiziere outlined in 10 points what he considers core elements of the German &quot;Leitkultur&quot;, the guiding or dominant national culture.

He listed a diligent work ethic, respect for others, being an &quot;enlightened patriot&quot;, a belief in Europe and NATO, and in education and the arts, including the works of Bach and Goethe.

The Christian Democrat also said being German means &quot;showing our face&quot; rather than wearing an Islamic full-face burka, and greeting others with handshakes, which some Muslims shun with non-family members of the opposite sex.

Sandals with socks

On Twitter, outrage and mockery rained down on de Maiziere, garnished with memes of German sauerkraut and garden gnomes.

An alternative &quot;Ten Commandments&quot; suggested adding &quot;towels on deck chairs&quot; and &quot;sandals with tennis socks&quot; as uniquely German traits.

The Berlin daily Tagesspiegel charged &quot;the CDU has discovered the AfD within&quot;, while Greens party politician Juergen Trittin decried &quot;right-wing rabble-rousing&quot;.

Berlin state secretary Sawsan Chebli, the daughter of Palestinian refugees, said she found it &quot;off-putting&quot; to claim virtues such as respect for education as uniquely German.

Former president Christian Wulff, the first public official to proclaim that &quot;Islam is part of Germany&quot; , said the constitution provides all the rules needed for life in an open, democratic society.

Nonetheless, polls by Insa and YouGov found that around half of Germans agreed with the concept of a &quot;Leitkultur&quot;, which has been hotly debated in media columns and TV talk shows.

It is a painful debate in a country that, given its guilt over World War II and the Holocaust, long shunned open expressions of patriotism, but which is yet to fully embrace the concept of &quot;multiculturalism&quot;.

One fifth of Germans have a migrant background, and four million of its 80 million people are Muslims, including a large Turkish diaspora, a legacy of post-war Germany&#39;s &quot;guest worker&quot; programme.

Yet the word &quot;Multikulti&quot; is still often used as a negative,&nbsp;to evoke urban migrant ghettos, &quot;parallel societies&quot; and no-go areas, rather than a rich, ethnically diverse society.

&#39;Reject nationalism&#39;

The loaded term &quot;Leitkultur&quot; was first used in German politics by the CDU in 2000 to suggest that immigrants, then mainly from the former Yugoslavia, must follow Germany&#39;s customs and traditions as well as its laws.

The word was revived by the AfD, a party now polling around 10 per cent, which has urged Germans to rediscover national pride and a Christian-rooted heritage.

Now, four months before elections, de Maiziere has taken ownership of the term.

&quot;Populist, empty and slightly nauseating,&quot; was how Berlin graphic designer Bettina Braun, 37, characterised the phrase, adding that &quot;if Germany needs a Leitkultur, it should be to reject nationalism.&quot;

Retired teacher Gerda Felgner, 68, judged it &quot;problematic&quot;, because &quot;if you want to exclude someone, you define what Leitkultur is&quot;.

Others were more sympathetic, including Thai-born office worker Somkiat, who said &quot;every country has common rules that define day-to-day life&quot;.

&quot;Foreigners can&#39;t just come and do whatever they want, they have to integrate themselves,&quot; said the 62-year-old.

Health care worker Uwe Liebrecht, 61, couldn&#39;t agree more, saying he felt ethnic Germans like him were &quot;becoming a minority&quot; and migrants &quot;here should try to fit into our culture&quot;.&nbsp;

Iraqi-born Nora, 28, said the hijab headscarf she wears had &quot;sadly become a symbol&quot; and had led strangers to tell her she looks &quot;like a ghost&quot;.

&quot;Of course that hurts and I think to myself: &#39;you don&#39;t even know me&#39;,&quot; she said. &quot;I grew up in Germany and to a degree I can understand it. Many Germans don&#39;t know any foreigners and just see terror on TV.

&quot;I think we need to talk to each other more and reduce those prejudices.&quot;

(AFP)

The opening salvo was fired by interior minister Thomas de Maiziere in the top-selling tabloid Bild

What does it mean to be German? A minister close to Chancellor Angela Merkel has kicked off a divisive election-year debate about cultural identity, earning him praise, ridicule and charges of immigrant-bashing. Some say it's high time to define shared values as Germany seeks to integrate more than a million mostly Muslim asylum seekers who arrived since 2015 under Merkel's open-door policy. Others have slammed the initiative as a grab for right-wing voters who threaten to drift off to the nationalist, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in September elections. The eye-catching opening salvo was fired by Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere in the top-selling tabloid Bild on Sunday. The front page showed the politician in charge of police and migrant affairs before the national colours black, red and gold, with the grammatically dubious headline "We Are Not Burka". In a double-page spread, de Maiziere outlined in 10 points what he considers core elements of the German "Leitkultur", the guiding or dominant national culture. He listed a diligent work ethic, respect for others, being an "enlightened patriot", a belief in Europe and NATO, and in education and the arts, including the works of Bach and Goethe. The Christian Democrat also said being German means "showing our face" rather than wearing an Islamic full-face burka, and greeting others with handshakes, which some Muslims shun with non-family members of the opposite sex. Sandals with socks On Twitter, outrage and mockery rained down on de Maiziere, garnished with memes of German sauerkraut and garden gnomes. An alternative "Ten Commandments" suggested adding "towels on deck chairs" and "sandals with tennis socks" as uniquely German traits. The Berlin daily Tagesspiegel charged "the CDU has discovered the AfD within", while Greens party politician Juergen Trittin decried "right-wing rabble-rousing". Berlin state secretary Sawsan Chebli, the daughter of Palestinian refugees, said she found it "off-putting" to claim virtues such as respect for education as uniquely German. Former president Christian Wulff, the first public official to proclaim that "Islam is part of Germany" , said the constitution provides all the rules needed for life in an open, democratic society. Nonetheless, polls by Insa and YouGov found that around half of Germans agreed with the concept of a "Leitkultur", which has been hotly debated in media columns and TV talk shows. It is a painful debate in a country that, given its guilt over World War II and the Holocaust, long shunned open expressions of patriotism, but which is yet to fully embrace the concept of "multiculturalism". One fifth of Germans have a migrant background, and four million of its 80 million people are Muslims, including a large Turkish diaspora, a legacy of post-war Germany's "guest worker" programme. Yet the word "Multikulti" is still often used as a negative, to evoke urban migrant ghettos, "parallel societies" and no-go areas, rather than a rich, ethnically diverse society. 'Reject nationalism' The loaded term "Leitkultur" was first used in German politics by the CDU in 2000 to suggest that immigrants, then mainly from the former Yugoslavia, must follow Germany's customs and traditions as well as its laws. The word was revived by the AfD, a party now polling around 10 per cent, which has urged Germans to rediscover national pride and a Christian-rooted heritage. Now, four months before elections, de Maiziere has taken ownership of the term. "Populist, empty and slightly nauseating," was how Berlin graphic designer Bettina Braun, 37, characterised the phrase, adding that "if Germany needs a Leitkultur, it should be to reject nationalism." Retired teacher Gerda Felgner, 68, judged it "problematic", because "if you want to exclude someone, you define what Leitkultur is". Others were more sympathetic, including Thai-born office worker Somkiat, who said "every country has common rules that define day-to-day life". "Foreigners can't just come and do whatever they want, they have to integrate themselves," said the 62-year-old. Health care worker Uwe Liebrecht, 61, couldn't agree more, saying he felt ethnic Germans like him were "becoming a minority" and migrants "here should try to fit into our culture". Iraqi-born Nora, 28, said the hijab headscarf she wears had "sadly become a symbol" and had led strangers to tell her she looks "like a ghost". "Of course that hurts and I think to myself: 'you don't even know me'," she said. "I grew up in Germany and to a degree I can understand it. Many Germans don't know any foreigners and just see terror on TV. "I think we need to talk to each other more and reduce those prejudices." (AFP)

What does it mean to be German? Question is asked in election year

The number of people applying for asylum in Germany has dropped steeply, figures showed on Monday, a sign that a deal between the European Union and Turkey to stem the flow of migrants is working.

The huge influx of migrants to Germany in the past two years has eroded the popularity of Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of national elections in September and fuelled the rise of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

But the AfD has seen its support plunge in polls since the sharp slowdown in the flow of migrants after the deal between the EU and Ankara was reached a year ago.

Around 47,300 people arrived in Germany between January and March, mostly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, while 60,000 applied for asylum in that period, down two-thirds from the same period a year ago, the interior ministry said.

The German office for migration and refugees ruled on 222,395 asylum applications from January to March. About half the individuals were allowed to stay in Germany for the time being, but only a fifth were granted full refugee status.

Migrants who arrive in Germany are first registered at reception centres where they have to wait for months before they can file an asylum application, creating a huge backlog.

At the end of March, there were still around 278,000 outstanding applications to process, the ministry said.

A failed asylum-seeker from Tunisia killed 12 people in December by ramming a truck into a Berlin Christmas market, fuelling accusations by Merkel&#39;s opponents that mass immigration is making Germany more vulnerable to Islamist attacks.

(Reuters)

The huge influx of migrants to Germany in the past two years has eroded the popularity of Angela Merkel ahead of polls

The number of people applying for asylum in Germany has dropped steeply, figures showed on Monday, a sign that a deal between the European Union and Turkey to stem the flow of migrants is working. The huge influx of migrants to Germany in the past two years has eroded the popularity of Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of national elections in September and fuelled the rise of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. But the AfD has seen its support plunge in polls since the sharp slowdown in the flow of migrants after the deal between the EU and Ankara was reached a year ago. Around 47,300 people arrived in Germany between January and March, mostly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, while 60,000 applied for asylum in that period, down two-thirds from the same period a year ago, the interior ministry said. The German office for migration and refugees ruled on 222,395 asylum applications from January to March. About half the individuals were allowed to stay in Germany for the time being, but only a fifth were granted full refugee status. Migrants who arrive in Germany are first registered at reception centres where they have to wait for months before they can file an asylum application, creating a huge backlog. At the end of March, there were still around 278,000 outstanding applications to process, the ministry said. A failed asylum-seeker from Tunisia killed 12 people in December by ramming a truck into a Berlin Christmas market, fuelling accusations by Merkel's opponents that mass immigration is making Germany more vulnerable to Islamist attacks. (Reuters)

Migrant arrival in Germany drops in 2017

German Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s government on Wednesday set September 24 as the date for a general election, as she seeks a fourth term facing populist headwinds over a record migrant influx.

The decision, adopted by Merkel&#39;s right-left coalition cabinet, must still be formally approved by President Joachim Gauck.

But the announcement fires the starting gun for an election campaign that Merkel has said will be her toughest yet due to opposition to her liberal asylum policy.

Merkel, 62, is nevertheless the clear frontrunner in the race and enjoys solid popularity in Europe&#39;s top economy.&nbsp;

A poll released Wednesday showed her conservative Christian Union bloc (CDU/CSU) as the strongest political force in the country with 38 per cent.

It was followed in distant second by the Social Democrats (SPD), the current junior partners in Merkel&#39;s &quot;grand coalition&quot; government, which polled at 21 per cent.

The right-wing anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has railed against Merkel&#39;s decision to let in more than one million asylum seekers since 2015, lost one percentage point compared to last week to reach 11 per cent.

The head of the Forsa opinion research institute which conducted the poll, Manfred Guellner, said a jihadist attack on a Berlin Christmas market last month that killed 12 people and was committed by a rejected asylum seeker had failed to boost support for the AfD.&nbsp;

&quot;Although the security debate after the Berlin terror attack is running high, the AfD is unable to capitalise on it,&quot; Guellner said in a statement.

&quot;It is actually losing support while the CDU/CSU and the SPD are stabilising.&quot;

Radical surge&nbsp;

The AfD, born as a eurosceptic party in 2013, has attempted to harness public unease with migration and asylum and, due to its relative strength, threatens to scramble the potentially complicated arithmetic of coalition building after the election.

It hopes to become the first populist party to gain seats in the Bundestag lower house of parliament in post-war Germany.

The AfD, seeking to gain momentum from a surge of European radical parties, will host a meeting of far-right leaders in the western city of Koblenz on Saturday.

Leaders expected to attend include Marine Le Pen, the presidential candidate for France&#39;s National Front; Harald Vilimsky of Austria&#39;s nationalist FPOe party; and Dutch MP Geert Wilders of the anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV).&nbsp;

The Forsa poll, conducted January 9 to 13 among a representative sample of 2,053 eligible voters, showed the ecologist Greens and the far-left Linke each at nine per cent and the pro-business Free Democrats at six per cent.

The Greens, who have been mentioned as potential partners in government for Merkel after the election, on Monday chose two members of their pragmatist wing, Cem Ozdemir and Katrin Goering-Eckardt, to lead the party into the general election.

Both have praised Merkel&#39;s stance on refugees.

However, Merkel has faced blowback from within her own conservative bloc, with the Christian Social Union in the southern state of Bavaria agitating for an upper limit on new asylum seekers &mdash;&nbsp;a bid Merkel has repeatedly rejected. &nbsp;

US President-elect Donald Trump said in a newspaper interview Monday that Merkel had made a &quot;catastrophic mistake&quot; in letting migrants flood into Germany.

Yet some analysts say German uncertainty over the future of the post-war order with Trump at the helm in Washington and Britain leaving the European Union could help Merkel&#39;s campaign as voters long for stability. 
 
(AFP)

The decision, adopted by Merkel's right-left coalition cabinet, must still be formally approved by President Joachim Gauck

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government on Wednesday set September 24 as the date for a general election, as she seeks a fourth term facing populist headwinds over a record migrant influx. The decision, adopted by Merkel's right-left coalition cabinet, must still be formally approved by President Joachim Gauck. But the announcement fires the starting gun for an election campaign that Merkel has said will be her toughest yet due to opposition to her liberal asylum policy. Merkel, 62, is nevertheless the clear frontrunner in the race and enjoys solid popularity in Europe's top economy. A poll released Wednesday showed her conservative Christian Union bloc (CDU/CSU) as the strongest political force in the country with 38 per cent. It was followed in distant second by the Social Democrats (SPD), the current junior partners in Merkel's "grand coalition" government, which polled at 21 per cent. The right-wing anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has railed against Merkel's decision to let in more than one million asylum seekers since 2015, lost one percentage point compared to last week to reach 11 per cent. The head of the Forsa opinion research institute which conducted the poll, Manfred Guellner, said a jihadist attack on a Berlin Christmas market last month that killed 12 people and was committed by a rejected asylum seeker had failed to boost support for the AfD. "Although the security debate after the Berlin terror attack is running high, the AfD is unable to capitalise on it," Guellner said in a statement. "It is actually losing support while the CDU/CSU and the SPD are stabilising." Radical surge The AfD, born as a eurosceptic party in 2013, has attempted to harness public unease with migration and asylum and, due to its relative strength, threatens to scramble the potentially complicated arithmetic of coalition building after the election. It hopes to become the first populist party to gain seats in the Bundestag lower house of parliament in post-war Germany. The AfD, seeking to gain momentum from a surge of European radical parties, will host a meeting of far-right leaders in the western city of Koblenz on Saturday. Leaders expected to attend include Marine Le Pen, the presidential candidate for France's National Front; Harald Vilimsky of Austria's nationalist FPOe party; and Dutch MP Geert Wilders of the anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV). The Forsa poll, conducted January 9 to 13 among a representative sample of 2,053 eligible voters, showed the ecologist Greens and the far-left Linke each at nine per cent and the pro-business Free Democrats at six per cent. The Greens, who have been mentioned as potential partners in government for Merkel after the election, on Monday chose two members of their pragmatist wing, Cem Ozdemir and Katrin Goering-Eckardt, to lead the party into the general election. Both have praised Merkel's stance on refugees. However, Merkel has faced blowback from within her own conservative bloc, with the Christian Social Union in the southern state of Bavaria agitating for an upper limit on new asylum seekers — a bid Merkel has repeatedly rejected. US President-elect Donald Trump said in a newspaper interview Monday that Merkel had made a "catastrophic mistake" in letting migrants flood into Germany. Yet some analysts say German uncertainty over the future of the post-war order with Trump at the helm in Washington and Britain leaving the European Union could help Merkel's campaign as voters long for stability. (AFP)

Germany: Angela Merkel sets September 24 as date for general elections

Facebook has announced it will take up the cudgels against the scourge of fake news in Germany, as Europe&#39;s largest economy gears up for elections this year.

The social media giant is keen on not continuing their algorithm of &quot;engagement&quot; without any filters&nbsp;because it had an adverse impact in the run-up to the US election. The algorithm is a tool that helps prioritize stories that have a certain elements of interest among the public.

Stories like Pope endorsing Donald Trump, Bill Clinton having raped a minor girl etc. did the rounds on Facebook as there was no filter to separate fake news from real ones. Facebook came under severe criticism for many felt that most of the fake stories were against Hillary Clinton -- something that might have&nbsp;abetted Trump&#39;s stunning win on November 8.

&quot;It&#39;s important to us that the reports and news posted on Facebook are reliable,&quot; a blog post on the Silicon Valley firm&#39;s German website read.

The firm said it would offer a simpler reporting process for users to flag suspected fake news, display warnings next to statements identified as false by independent fact-checking organisations, and cut off advertising revenue to fake news sites presenting themselves as real news organisations.

Stories flagged with a fake news warning will not be eligible to be converted into an ad seen by other users or &quot;promoted&quot; into other users&#39; feeds for a fee.

&quot;We think that independent and transparent fact-checking can be a powerful instrument for journalism,&quot; Facebook said.

Nonprofit investigative journalism organisation Correctiv will be the first fact-checking partner in Germany, the firm added, saying that they are &quot;confident&quot; of adding other news organisations in future.

Facebook&#39;s latest measures come just days after it announced the creation of a &quot;Journalism Project&quot; aimed at boosting the credibility of the information it circulates.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Unlike during the US election, the social media giant will stop giving advertisement revenue to bogus news sites

Facebook has announced it will take up the cudgels against the scourge of fake news in Germany, as Europe's largest economy gears up for elections this year. The social media giant is keen on not continuing their algorithm of "engagement" without any filters because it had an adverse impact in the run-up to the US election. The algorithm is a tool that helps prioritize stories that have a certain elements of interest among the public. Stories like Pope endorsing Donald Trump, Bill Clinton having raped a minor girl etc. did the rounds on Facebook as there was no filter to separate fake news from real ones. Facebook came under severe criticism for many felt that most of the fake stories were against Hillary Clinton -- something that might have abetted Trump's stunning win on November 8. "It's important to us that the reports and news posted on Facebook are reliable," a blog post on the Silicon Valley firm's German website read. The firm said it would offer a simpler reporting process for users to flag suspected fake news, display warnings next to statements identified as false by independent fact-checking organisations, and cut off advertising revenue to fake news sites presenting themselves as real news organisations. Stories flagged with a fake news warning will not be eligible to be converted into an ad seen by other users or "promoted" into other users' feeds for a fee. "We think that independent and transparent fact-checking can be a powerful instrument for journalism," Facebook said. Nonprofit investigative journalism organisation Correctiv will be the first fact-checking partner in Germany, the firm added, saying that they are "confident" of adding other news organisations in future. Facebook's latest measures come just days after it announced the creation of a "Journalism Project" aimed at boosting the credibility of the information it circulates. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Facebook to crack down on fake news sites in Germany's election year

German economy minister Sigmar Gabriel has decided to run against Chancellor Angela Merkel in general elections expected this September, Bild newspaper reported on Tuesday citing sources from Social Democrats.

Senior party sources told Reuters last week, that there is no realistic alternative to Gabriel, currently serving as vice chancellor and economy minister in Merkel&#39;s right-left coalition government. Gabriel, 57, also leads the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

Merkel, 62, announced her candidature for a fourth term in November last year.

An official announcement is not expected until January 29.

&quot;The SPD will decide on its candidate for chancellor on Jan. 29,&quot; a spokesman for Gabriel said, Reuters reported.

The paper said that former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had encouraged Gabriel to stand and clearly state that he wanted the top job.

Some party members had hoped that the former president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz would step up for the role.

Bild said Gabriel&#39;s likely run meant that Schulz would replace Steinmeier as Berlin&#39;s top diplomat.

The SPD executive board denied in a tweet that a decision had been taken.

&quot;We are pleased about the media interest in the SPD! But it is just speculation about the chancellor issue. The fact remains: we will decide on January 29,&quot; it said.

Although Merkel had received criticism for her liberal immigration policy, polls show the Christian Democrats (CDU) leads with around 37 per cent support, followed at a distance by the SPD with about 20 per cent. An insurgent anti-immigration party, the AfD, is currently polling at around 15 per cent, AFP reported.

(With inputs from agencies)

An official announcement is not expected until January 29 but Bild newspaper reports that Sigmar Gabriel has decided to run

German economy minister Sigmar Gabriel has decided to run against Chancellor Angela Merkel in general elections expected this September, Bild newspaper reported on Tuesday citing sources from Social Democrats. Senior party sources told Reuters last week, that there is no realistic alternative to Gabriel, currently serving as vice chancellor and economy minister in Merkel's right-left coalition government. Gabriel, 57, also leads the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Merkel, 62, announced her candidature for a fourth term in November last year. An official announcement is not expected until January 29. "The SPD will decide on its candidate for chancellor on Jan. 29," a spokesman for Gabriel said, Reuters reported. The paper said that former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had encouraged Gabriel to stand and clearly state that he wanted the top job. Some party members had hoped that the former president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz would step up for the role. Bild said Gabriel's likely run meant that Schulz would replace Steinmeier as Berlin's top diplomat. The SPD executive board denied in a tweet that a decision had been taken. "We are pleased about the media interest in the SPD! But it is just speculation about the chancellor issue. The fact remains: we will decide on January 29," it said. Although Merkel had received criticism for her liberal immigration policy, polls show the Christian Democrats (CDU) leads with around 37 per cent support, followed at a distance by the SPD with about 20 per cent. An insurgent anti-immigration party, the AfD, is currently polling at around 15 per cent, AFP reported. (With inputs from agencies)

German economy minister Gabriel to run against Merkel: Reports

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday said Russia could try to influence Germany&#39;s general elections next year through cyber attacks or disinformation campaigns, after Washington accused the Kremlin of similar meddling in the US vote.

&quot;We are already, even now, having to deal with information out of Russia or with internet attacks that are of Russian origin or with news which sows false information,&quot; Merkel, said at a press conference alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

Dealing with that was already &quot;a daily task&quot;, she told reporters in Berlin.&nbsp;

&quot;So it may be that this could also play a role during the election campaign.&quot;

The comments came in response to a question about whether Germany could experience the type of cyber attacks that have plagued the White House race, notably targeting Hillary Clinton&#39;s Democratic party.

Washington last month formally accused the Russian government of trying to &quot;interfere&quot; in the election by hacking US political institutions, charges the Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed.&nbsp;

Germany&#39;s domestic secret service earlier this year accused Russia of a series of international cyber spying and sabotage attacks, including a case which targeted the German lower house of parliament last year.

Germans are scheduled to go to the polls in September 2017. Merkel has yet to announce her candidacy but is widely expected to run for a fourth term.

(AFP)

Germany's secret service has earlier accused Russia of a series of international cyber sabotage attacks

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday said Russia could try to influence Germany's general elections next year through cyber attacks or disinformation campaigns, after Washington accused the Kremlin of similar meddling in the US vote. "We are already, even now, having to deal with information out of Russia or with internet attacks that are of Russian origin or with news which sows false information," Merkel, said at a press conference alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg. Dealing with that was already "a daily task", she told reporters in Berlin. "So it may be that this could also play a role during the election campaign." The comments came in response to a question about whether Germany could experience the type of cyber attacks that have plagued the White House race, notably targeting Hillary Clinton's Democratic party. Washington last month formally accused the Russian government of trying to "interfere" in the election by hacking US political institutions, charges the Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed. Germany's domestic secret service earlier this year accused Russia of a series of international cyber spying and sabotage attacks, including a case which targeted the German lower house of parliament last year. Germans are scheduled to go to the polls in September 2017. Merkel has yet to announce her candidacy but is widely expected to run for a fourth term. (AFP)

Angela Merkel warns of possible Russian interference in German elections

German Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s Christian Democrats are bracing for a second loss as Berlin city votes&nbsp;on Sunday. 
 
Voters are expected to express their unease about Merkel&#39;s open-door migrant policy in&nbsp;today&#39;s vote. 
 
Merkel&#39;s decision to open Germany&#39;s borders to refugees a year ago has boosted support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.&nbsp;AfD has played on voters&#39; fear of the migrants, winning nine of Germany&#39;s 16 states. There have been concerns about the cost of letting the migrants in and their integration. 
 
AfD&#39;s Berlin candidate Georg Pazderski told Reuters: &quot;I favour educating these people (immigrants) but not integrating them. We must prepare them for going back.&quot; 
 
Polls point to heavy losses for Merkel&#39;s Christian Democrats (CDU) in the vote which means the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) may be able to ditch them from their current coalition, Reuters reported. 
 
With only a year left until the next federal election, Merkel&#39;s refugee-friendly policy has dented her popularity. 
 
Merkel has defended her policy, appealing to Berlin&#39;s openness.&nbsp;&quot;Berlin, its whole history, the success of what was West Berlin, its openness has served it well and must be preserved,&quot; Rueters quoted her as saying. 
 
Merkel&#39;s conservative allies in Bavaria have called on her to toughen up the migrant policy with measures such as capping the number of refugees to 200,000 per year. 
 
The recent election reversals have even raised questions about whether Merkel will stand for a fourth term next year. 
 
An INSA poll this week put the CDU to win 18 per cent of votes in Berlin, down by more than five points from the 2011 vote and only four points ahead of the AfD. 
 
Carsten Koschmieder, political scientist at Berlin&#39;s Free University, predicted further damaging splits between the CDU and CSU if voters reject conservatives in Berlin. 
 
&quot;Critics of Merkel will get louder while her supporters in the CDU will blame (CSU leader) Horst Seehofer for using destructive rhetoric,&quot; he told Reuters. 
 
Voting in the German capital started at 8 am (0600 GMT) and some 2.5 million people are eligible to decide who should represent them in the Berlin city assembly. 
 
Polling stations will close at 6 pm (1600 GMT) and public broadcasters will publish exit polls shortly afterwards. First projections are expected roughly half an hour later. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Polls point to heavy defeat for Merkel's Christian Democrats which means the Social Democrats may be able to ditch them from their coalition

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats are bracing for a second loss as Berlin city votes on Sunday. Voters are expected to express their unease about Merkel's open-door migrant policy in today's vote. Merkel's decision to open Germany's borders to refugees a year ago has boosted support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. AfD has played on voters' fear of the migrants, winning nine of Germany's 16 states. There have been concerns about the cost of letting the migrants in and their integration. AfD's Berlin candidate Georg Pazderski told Reuters: "I favour educating these people (immigrants) but not integrating them. We must prepare them for going back." Polls point to heavy losses for Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) in the vote which means the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) may be able to ditch them from their current coalition, Reuters reported. With only a year left until the next federal election, Merkel's refugee-friendly policy has dented her popularity. Merkel has defended her policy, appealing to Berlin's openness. "Berlin, its whole history, the success of what was West Berlin, its openness has served it well and must be preserved," Rueters quoted her as saying. Merkel's conservative allies in Bavaria have called on her to toughen up the migrant policy with measures such as capping the number of refugees to 200,000 per year. The recent election reversals have even raised questions about whether Merkel will stand for a fourth term next year. An INSA poll this week put the CDU to win 18 per cent of votes in Berlin, down by more than five points from the 2011 vote and only four points ahead of the AfD. Carsten Koschmieder, political scientist at Berlin's Free University, predicted further damaging splits between the CDU and CSU if voters reject conservatives in Berlin. "Critics of Merkel will get louder while her supporters in the CDU will blame (CSU leader) Horst Seehofer for using destructive rhetoric," he told Reuters. Voting in the German capital started at 8 am (0600 GMT) and some 2.5 million people are eligible to decide who should represent them in the Berlin city assembly. Polling stations will close at 6 pm (1600 GMT) and public broadcasters will publish exit polls shortly afterwards. First projections are expected roughly half an hour later. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Angela Merkel braces for Berlin vote loss over pro-migrant policies

The defeat could weaken the German Chancellor's chances of a fourth term in next year's federal elections

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats stood third, after being defeated by the anti-immigrant and anti-Islam Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in a north-eastern state election on Sunday, according to TV exit polls. Merkel's Christian Democratic Union garnered just 19 percent percent in its worst ever score in the north-eastern state. The defeat has come for Merkel in her home district and could weaken her chances of a fourth term in next year’s federal elections. The AfD took 21.9 per cent of the vote behind the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) in their first election in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern by campaigning hard against the chancellor's policies on refugees, according to a projection by ARD TV at 1815 GMT. "This isn't pretty for us," said Michael Grosse-Broemer, one of Merkel's top deputies in parliament in Berlin in a ZDF TV interview. "Those who voted for the AfD were sending a message of protest." The SPD has dominated the rural state on the Baltic coast with the CDU as junior coalition partners since 2006. It won 30.2 per cent of the vote, down from 35.6 per cent in the last election in 2011. Merkel's approval rating has gone down to a five-year low of 45 per cent, down from 67 per cent a year ago, due to increasing dissent with her open-door policies on refugees. Her decision has left her isolated in Europe, and exposed her to heavy criticism at home, including from her own conservative allies. Support for Merkel has also weakened after a string of violent attacks on civilians in July, three of which were carried out by asylum seekers. Of those, two were claimed by Islamic State. According to a report in Der Spiegel magazine, Merkel wanted to announce her intention of running for a fourth term this year but has put that on hold due to resistance from her Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union. "This was a dark day for Merkel," Thomas Jaeger, a political scientist at Cologne University, told Reuters. "Everyone knows that she lost this election. Her district in parliament is there, she campaigned there, and refugees are her issue." "This is a slap in the face for Merkel -- not only in Berlin but also in her home state," said Frauke Petry, co-leader of the AfD. "The voters made a clear statement against Merkel's disastrous immigration policies. This put her in her place." The leader of France's far-right National Front party, Marine Le Pen, posted on Twitter: "What was impossible yesterday has become possible: the patriots of AfD sweep up the party of Ms Merkel. All my congratulations!” The SPD (26 seats) and the CDU (16) won enough seats to be able to continue their coalition in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, with the AfD as the second-largest bloc in the 71-seat state assembly with 18 seats. The SPD, which could also form a coalition with the Left Party, said it was leaving its options open. The AfD is also gaining nationwide, a new poll showed on Sunday. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Merkel loses to anti-immigrant party in her home district: Exit polls

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