Merz breaks protocol: sharp attacks in the TV duel with Scholz!

Merz breaks protocol: sharp attacks in the TV duel with Scholz!

Aschaffenburg, Deutschland - On February 9, 2025, the first TV duel between Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz (CDU) took place. The 90-minute debate was mainly about the topics of migration and the allegations of cooperation between the Union and the AfD. Scholz confronted Merz with his statements, while Merz Scholz confronted a quote from an interview from 2024, in which he spoke of not making himself dependent on the AfD. The discussion quickly showed that the top duo disagreed in many points.

Friedrich Merz caused a sensation as part of the duel by violating the protocols of the format and brought additional material. Scholz described Merz ’procedure as a" word and taboo break "and expressed concerns about future cooperation with the AfD. Merz rejected the allegations and stated that the Union had enforced its five-point plan for migration with votes from the AfD in the Bundestag, which interpreted Scholz as a loss of trust.

political attacks and reactions

During the duel, Scholz Merz attacked several times and questioned its perception of the current economic situation, whereupon Merz saved the serenity. Both parties see their candidates as the winner of the debate. CSU boss Markus Söder called Merz the "clear and clear winner", while SPD boss Lars Klingbeil Scholz praised as "very strong". Merz tried to use the issue of migration for his election campaign after switching his strategy to an act of violence in Aschaffenburg.

In terms of asylum policy, Scholz promised to maintain a "hard course" and rejected Merz’s suggestions for rejection of migrants as illegal. Scholz also criticized Merz for his previous statements, which he described as a "broken word". According to surveys on the part of Tagesschau.de only every second voter trusts the union's promise to not enter into the AfD.

preparation for the Bundestag election

In the context of the upcoming Bundestag election on February 23, 2025, a variety of TV debates will take place. After the start on January 28, another important debate with Merz and Scholz will take place on “Hart but fair” on February 10th. The next duel between the two will take place on February 19 at Welt TV, followed by the final round on February 20 in ARD and ZDF. These debates will be decisive in order to give the voters an insight into the positions of the Chancellor candidates and their parties, which could affect the outcome of the election, so rnd.de

The voters are excited about what the next debates will bring, because the polls show a high level of interest. The Union is currently in the surveys between 29 and 34 percent, while the SPD falls behind the AfD with 15 to 18 percent. Popularity values show that 32 percent of the respondents are satisfied with Merz, while only 23 percent rate with Scholz.