Three-way contest for German chancellery begins

Olaf Scholz, Annalena Baerbock and Armin Laschet (Pool/AP)

Germany is seeing its first three-way contest for the chancellery, with the environmentalist Greens joining the country’s two traditional big parties in fielding a candidate for the top job.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said nearly three years ago that she would not seek a fifth four-year term, setting up the first election since West Germany’s inaugural vote, in 1949, in which there is no incumbent seeking re-election.