Chancellor Olaf Scholz struggled to land the decisive blow he urgently needs on conservative frontrunner Friedrich Merz in the first of two televised debates ahead of Germany’s snap election in two weeks.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the US could take ownership of the Gaza Strip, relocate its population and redevelop it as a “scandal”. His main challenger in a pre-election debate on Sunday also voiced unease but suggested there’s “a lot of rhetoric” coming from Washington.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his conservative rival Friedrich Merz faced off in a heated TV debate on Sunday, exactly two weeks before the country heads to the polls. Scholz attacked Merz - whose conservative CDU/CSU alliance is leading in the polls on around 30% ahead of the election on February 23 - over his decision last week to pass a motion on migration reform in parliament with votes from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday accused election rival Friedrich Merz of having broken his word by accepting support from the far-right AfD to push an anti-immigration motion through parliament.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other key European leaders are deep underwater in popular support, according to a new poll from the Tyson Group national research firm.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday accused his conservative rival Friedrich Merz of being ready to cooperate with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), as the rivals faced off in a heated TV debate just two weeks before the country heads to the polls.