German voters are heading to the polls today, but the political landscape has shifted significantly since the campaign began a few weeks ago. With nearly 60 million people choosing a government to tackle the breakdown of the transatlantic alliance under Donald Trump and new threats to European security, Friedrich Merz, the conservative opposition chief and potential next chancellor, faces a daunting task. His in-tray includes dealing with an aggressive Russia, a hostile America, and a Europe that is drifting apart. Merz, a corporate lawyer with a long-standing ambition to be chancellor without any government experience, may be tested more strongly than any postwar chancellor. He recently acknowledged that Trump’s abandonment of European defense pledges and support for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) indicate “tectonic shifts in the political and economic power centers of the world.” Germany, the world’s third-largest economic power and most populous EU country, is already grappling with the legacy of Angela Merkel’s 16-year tenure as chancellor, which was marked by reliance on cheap Russian gas and strong trade with China. Trump’s undermining of NATO and betrayal of Ukraine are “a wrenching punch to the gut,” and Germany’s biggest challenge will be mustering a united show of strength by the EU and the UK. The country is also dealing with the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the challenges posed by China’s undercutting of the German car industry. Scholz’s government collapsed over the unresolved issue of the strict “debt brake,” leading to a general election ahead of schedule. The next government will need to reassess German leadership in Europe and address the debt brake to finance more defense spending

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/23/german-voters-head-to-polls-facing-world-of-change-as-far-right-waits-in-the-wings