The public broadcasters ARD and ZDF are planning a debate on February 9, and the private broadcaster RTL together with the magazine “Stern” have invited candidates to the debate on February 16.
Scholz, who represents the Social Democrats (SPD), lost a no-confidence vote in the Bundestag on Monday and has called on German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to call early parliamentary elections.
Polls show that the current opposition Christian Democrats (CDU), led by Merck, and the CDU’s Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), will win the most votes in the election. Merc has a good chance of becoming the next chancellor of Germany.
The public broadcasting organizations also plan to organize a debate between the leading candidates of the green and Eurosceptic party “Alternative for Germany” (AfD).
RTL said it was in talks with the chancellor and leading candidates from other parties about the future debate.
The pro-Russian left-wing extremist party “Zara Wagenknecht Union” (BSW) announced on Monday that the founder and leader of the party, Zaara Wagenknecht, will also apply for the position of chancellor. However, it is not yet known whether she will be invited to the televised debate, as the BSW is far behind the other parties in the polls.