The contenders in Germany's election made their final appeals to voters Saturday, with opposition leader and front-runner Friedrich Merz vowing to revive the stagnant economy and defend Europe's interests in the face of a confrontational U.S. administration.
The motion was approved thanks to votes from Alternative for Germany, or AfD — a first in postwar Germany that prompted opponents to accuse Merz of breaking a taboo.
“Anyone who wants to be sure this doesn't happen must ensure that there are strong Social Democrats and that they can provide the next chancellor," Merz said.
At an event in Potsdam, which he represents in parliament, Scholz again cast doubt on Merz's reliability and portrayed his party as the strongest bulwark against AfD playing any role.
Germans are electing a new parliament Sunday after a campaign focused on the state of Europe’s biggest economy and calls to curb migration, while uncertainty has grown rapidly about the future of Ukraine and the strength of Europe’s alliance with the United States.
