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Merz vs. Scholz: Who will win the decisive TV duel before the election?
In the TV duel on February 22, 2025, Scholz and Merz will discuss central topics such as migration policy and the AfD before the election.
Merz vs. Scholz: Who will win the decisive TV duel before the election?
On February 22, 2025, an exciting TV duel took place between Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and CDU leader Friedrich Merz. This duel, which took place as part of the election campaign for the 2025 federal election, was seen as important for addressing and informing voters.
After the duel, a flash poll showed that 53% of respondents considered Merz the winner of the evening, while 27% thought Scholz was superior and 19% could not see a clear favorite Mercury reported. Merz called for a “leap of trust” for the Union and emphasized that cooperation with the AfD was out of the question. In return, Scholz called on Merz to distance himself more clearly from the AfD.
Key points of the duel
In the debate, Merz expressed the need for complete monitoring of Islamist threats and criticized data protection. He spoke out in favor of a fundamental migration and economic transition and stated that he only wanted to sign a coalition agreement that took these issues into account. Scholz, on the other hand, supported the deportation of criminals to their countries of origin and pointed out the need for sanctions for total refusers in connection with citizens' money.
Both politicians also discussed the traffic light coalition's energy policy decisions, with Merz blaming energy policy for rising food prices. Scholz, on the other hand, advocated a reduction in VAT on food.
The discussion about migration policy was particularly intense. Merz compared German migration policy with that in Denmark and spoke out in favor of consistent deportation detention for those at risk. However, he rejected general deportation protection for those tolerated. Scholz, on the other hand, accused Merz of having “broken his word” with regard to a five-point plan on migration that the Union had pushed through in the Bundestag with votes from the AfD.
This duel, moderated by Marion Horn (Bild) and Jan Philipp Burgard (Welt), dealt intensively with the major socio-political challenges, with both Merz and Scholz emphasizing the importance of turning away from extreme parties, such as Baden newspaper reported.