Chancellor Scholz attacks his challenger Merz hard in the first TV duel. Merz counters with the accusation that Scholz suffers from loss of reality. Similarities are shown with a view to the FDP.
In the end they shake their hands. The one and a half hours were quite tense, in which Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Chancellor candidate of the Union, Friedrich Merz, discussed ARD and ZDF.
In the first TV duel of this election campaign, the incumbent was attacked. The first topic, dealing with the AfD, Scholz tackled the CDU boss hard. The attempt to achieve a majority with the AfD in the Bundestag was “a break and a break”. One could not be sure whether Merz would repeat this after the election.
Moderator Maybrit Illner seconded Scholz: Merz broke his word; Why should you believe him that he won't do that again? Merz repeated what he has already said countless times: The Union and the AfD “separate worlds in the factual issues”, so there will be no cooperation. Merz turned directly to Scholz: “We both know each other well enough. They know me.” Merz accused the Chancellor to only exploit the topic.
Scholz accuses Merz that his proposal was “stupid”
With a view to migration policy, Scholz presented himself as head of government who introduced a “tough course”. He had introduced border controls, reinforced returns by 70 percent and reduced the number of new asylum applications.
Merz admitted that the federal government “didn't do anything”, but not enough. This is mainly due to the Greens. Scholz reacted to criticism with a counterattack. Merz tell “something wrong”, Merz 'suggestions are against German interests and it would be “stupid” to break European law, where its federal government had finally enforced a European regulation.
In return, Merz pointed out that this regulation, the common European asylum system (GEAS), only came into force in 2026. “Do we really want to wait that long?” His conclusion: “Mr. Scholz, please, you don't live in this world what you tell here is a fairytale castle.”
Merz “somewhat shaken” on the subject of the economy “
When it comes to business, Merz was also “astonishing what perception they have”. Scholz had previously admitted that the mood for companies was bad. The judgment, in Germany there is a de -industrialization, but he rejected it. Merz was naturally more critical: Germany was a recession in the third year that there was an insolvency wave with increasing tendency. “And then you speak of it, we have no deinstustrialization?!” He was “somewhat shaken what perception you describe the condition of our economy here tonight”. This has “nothing to do with reality”.
Here Scholz showed a problem: he argued as an incumbent, who ultimately is responsible for the problems. Scholz also said what Merz described was not to be left away. But: “I haven't attacked Ukraine, I didn't stop the gas deliveries”, that was Russia's President Vladimir Putin. Moderator Sandra Maischberger could not refrain from a slightly annoyed “Mr. Scholz” at this point.
Scholz 'proposal of a Germany fund and an investment premium dismissed Merz as a “classic straw fire” that cost a lot of money. Reliable framework conditions are necessary, according to the CDU boss. Scholz, on the other hand, accused Merz of planning tax cuts of 20 billion euros for those “earning the vast majority”. Then he was “strictly against it”.
Both could be without FDP
In a round in which the two sentences were supposed to complete, both differences and matches were shown. The sentence “A Bundestag without a FDP would …” added the judgment: “poorer, but quite viable”. Scholz agreed: “I can't put it better.”
The plan of US President Donald Trump for the Gaza Strip called Scholz a scandal, not acceptable and contrary to international law. Merz shared this assessment, only added that Trump was “probably also a lot of rhetoric”.
There were differences in the question of what to think of Trump's decree that the United States' population obliges to two genders. Merz said that it was a decision that he could understand. Scholz said everyone should be as happy as they want. Merz wants to ban the gender in authorities. Scholz said everyone should write and speak the way he thinks it is right. Merz agreed – however, the authorities should apply what the Council gives German spelling.
Merz for private care insurance
The difference between Merz and Scholz also became very clear when it comes to care. “I think it would be better if, in the longer perspective, people also impose a mandatory private long -term care insurance for humans so that they can provide them with accordingly,” said Merz. Scholz refused. He called for a “cost cover at 1000 euros” and a “solidarity fright” between private and statutory health insurance companies.
In the case of citizenship, Scholz showed himself as a friend of sanctions or “very clear rules”. Merz promised to bring 400,000 citizens' pawns back to the labor market. This alone would save the state 6 billion euros.
It got heated when it came to arms spending and the war in Ukraine. Again Scholz accused Merz of being irresponsible. With a view to a possible delivery of the March missile Taurus to Ukraine, Scholz said: “This is exactly the step that you should not go if you have responsibility for Germany.” Merz, on the other hand, pointed out that the United States, France and Great Britain had also delivered marching missiles.
Debt or growth?
With regard to the armaments policy, Scholz campaigned for a reform of the debt brake so that the cost of better equipment from the Bundeswehr would not be passed on to “normal people”. Scholz accused his challenger of wanting to finance armaments spending with social cuts. Merz denied this, but said that “priorities in the household would have to be reorganized”.
Scholz claimed for himself and the SPD to be the only ones that had made “a fair proposal” in this debate. Merz countered that the SPD did not make a proposal, but two: more debts and higher taxes. When asked how he himself wanted to finance the increasing defense spending, Merz remained in the approximate. “The whole thing only works when we become a rapidly growing economy again.” Scholz called this statement “ridiculous”.
In a week a square
The discussion showed the roles in this TV duel: Scholz went on the offensive more often instead of giving the statesmanish chancellor. Apparently, the Chancellor with his attacks was also about getting Merz upset. He couldn't do that. Merz laughed when asked whether the two could imagine having coalition talks. He assumes “that we will win the Bundestag election”. He avoided a coalition statement, but said that there will be no continuation of “left -wing politics” with the Union. After the election, the SPD, perhaps also the Greens, will have to move, said Merz.
Scholz was convinced that the voters “will decide differently than Mr. Merz imagined it for so long”.
The two will meet in other formats – including next Sunday at RTL and NTV. However, this encounter will not be a duel, but a square: In addition to Merz and Scholz, Greens Chancellor candidate Robert Habeck and AfD Chancellor Alice Weidel are also there.
