Germany’s three would-be chancellors cross swords in TV debate

Candidates for chancellor from left, Armin Laschet, Annalena Baerbock and Olaf Scholz stand before the broadcast in the TV studio in Berlin (Michael Kappeler/AP)

The three candidates to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany’s election sought to gain an advantage in the closely fought race in a televised debate, with recent polls suggesting that many voters are unimpressed with the choice they face.

The contenders in the September 26 parliamentary election are Armin Laschet for Mrs Merkel’s centre-right Union bloc, Olaf Scholz for the centre-left Social Democrats and Annalena Baerbock for the environmentalist Greens.