Candidates to succeed Angela Merkel make final push ahead of Germany’s election

People walk and drive past election posters of the three chancellor candidates, from right, Armin Laschet, Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Annalena Baerbock, German Green party (Die Gruenen) and Olaf Scholz, Social Democratic Party (SPDD) (Martin Meissner/AP)

Germany’s political parties prepared to rally their supporters and win over undecided voters, two days before a national election that will determine who succeeds Chancellor Angela Merkel after 16 years in power.

Mrs Merkel’s centre-right Union bloc, with Armin Laschet as its candidate for chancellorship, has made small gains in the polls in recent weeks.