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Berlin, Feb 23 (EFE).–
Germans voted in a closely watched general election, with nearly 60 million people eligible to exercise their democratic right and elect a new government amid growing economic concerns and pressure to stop migration.
Incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz and conservative frontrunner Friedrich Merz were among those casting their ballots on a day marked by high anticipation and rising political divisions.
Scholz voted alongside his wife, Britta Ernst, at a polling station in his Potsdam constituency in the eastern state of Brandenburg.
The chancellor, who went for a morning run before heading to vote, faces a crucial political test, with polls giving his Social Democratic Party (SPD) around 15 percent support, far behind his rivals.
“Go out and vote. For a higher minimum wage, for tax cuts for the vast majority, for stable pensions, and for investment in good jobs and security. For a stable government and social cohesion in our country,” Scholz wrote on social media platform X.
Merz, whose conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leads the polls with up to 30 percent support, cast his vote in Niedereimer, North Rhine-Westphalia, accompanied by his wife, Charlotte. He greeted neighbors before and after voting.
“Every vote counts now. I ask for your trust. Send a signal in favor of the political change that is urgently needed,” Merz wrote on X.
Other leading candidates, including far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader Alice Weidel and environmentalist Robert Habeck, voted early. All major contenders are now in Berlin, awaiting exit polls, which will be published shortly after polling stations close at 17:00 GMT.
Calm Voting in Berlin
At school 517 in Tempelhof-Schöneberg, southern Berlin, a polling station supervisor told EFE that voting was progressing smoothly without incidents.
“I hope things improve after this election, also in Europe,” said a middle-aged voter with a Slavic accent who declined to give her name.
Helmut, a retiree, expressed his hope for a government change after what he described as “three years of chaos” under Scholz’s coalition of Social Democrats, Greens, and liberals.
“It was difficult to govern with three parties, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) blocked everything. I’m worried about a shift to the right, but I trust it won’t happen,” he said.
As the far-right AfD sees its support potentially doubling to 21 percent, immigration remains a focal point of debate, particularly among conservative politicians.
For Hasan, a third-generation immigrant born in Germany, change is necessary.
“The far right has become normalized again, but I’m not worried they’ll govern. They talk a lot and make promises, but closing borders isn’t practical. Maybe if they govern, people will see they can’t do what they claim,” he said.
Hasan also criticized the CDU’s stance on the war in Ukraine.
“I don’t want a CDU government that keeps fueling war in Europe. We shouldn’t continue arming Ukraine. Russia and the US are already negotiating, and Germany has no say in this matter anyway.”
Last-Minute Decisions
Irina, a 40-year-old mother of two, remained undecided until the final day and considered voting for a small party, despite the risk of it not entering parliament.
Of the smaller parties, only The Left has a strong chance of securing seats, while it remains uncertain whether the populist left-wing Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) or the FDP will reach the threshold for representation.
“But yesterday, I watched the debate and thought Scholz did well, so I ended up voting for him,” Irina said.
In Berlin’s central Moabit district, election day was calm. At a local bakery, breakfast rolls sold out earlier than usual, suggesting many voters stopped by after casting their ballots.
Inside a nearby polling station, Nicholas, 35, affirmed his long-standing support for the SPD.
“With 27 percent of voters still undecided, we’ll see what happens,” he told EFE, acknowledging that polls place the Social Democrats in third place.
Others prioritized blocking the far right.
“In this election, voting for a party that won’t enter Parliament is pointless. We have to choose among those that will and clearly oppose the AfD,” said Jonas. EFE
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