Olaf Scholz and Friedrich Merz face off in final debate ahead of German election

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Opposition Leader Friedrich Merz faced off in a final debate on German television on Wednesday ahead of elections next Sunday.

During the debate the candidates touched on migration, the economy, and security.

Pre-election polls have put Merz’s centre-right Union bloc in the lead, with Scholz’s Social Democrats and Robert Habeck’s Greens further back.

Scholz was combative and declared that he still believed he would win the election this Sunday, counting on the many undecided voters who may only make their decision in the voting booth.

"Some people will go to the election, into the polling booth and only then decide who and which party to vote for. And I believe that in the end, many will vote for the SPD and give me a new mandate to lead," he said.

Merz responded saying "no miracle will happen over the next four days."

"Your chancellorship should be over on Sunday."

In the election campaign, Merz has made curbing irregular migration a central issue, demanding a more restrictive approach, particularly since a deadly knife attack recently by a rejected asylum-seeker.

The way he has done so prompted opponents to accuse him of breaking a taboo and endangering mainstream parties’ “firewall” against the far-right Alternative for Germany.

Scholz also accused Merz of having made common cause with the AfD, an allusion to the asylum change motion. Merz contradicted this and stressed that the CDU/CSU is not working with the AfD.

When it comes to migration, Merz said the traffic light government is responsible for the current state of affairs. He wants to abolish the so-called tolerated status and warns of 500 officially known threats, saying they are "ticking time bombs". Scholz explains that the police should have more leeway with new laws.

Merz emphasised what is most important to him and his party: the migration and economic turnaround. These problems must be solved at all costs, otherwise, he said, Germany will slide into right-wing populism in a few years.

In terms of the economy, Scholz promises to invest in infrastructure and create a "Made in Germany bonus" to boost investment in Germany. Merz, on the other hand, wants to reduce energy prices first, with the help of lower network charges and energy taxes.

Merz and Scholz agree on the value added tax, which should not increase any further. Otherwise, Scholz accuses Merz of pursuing a tax policy from which only the rich benefit.

There was also space for some humour during the appearance, with both candidates joking about the other's hobbies.