Quotes
When France sneezes, the rest of Europe catches a cold”.
Almost 200 years ago German diplomat Klemens von Metternich, who spent his life trying to balance Europe’s powers and keep Russia at bay, famously said
There is no left majority and no left politics anymore in Germany,
Merz told a raucous beer hall, promising to tighten border controls and revive flagging Germany Inc
There must be a change, a transformation,
the 62-year-old urban planner said, listing among his concerns "European security" amid the Ukraine war and the economyA lot of my friends are likely going to vote for the conservatives because this government didn't work so well and Merz's international standing is quite good,
said Mike Zeller, 26, a civil servant
I'm completely disappointed in politics, so maybe an alternative would be better,
said retired Berlin bookkeeper Ludmila Ballhorn, 76, who plans to vote AfD, ... adding she was struggling.jpg)
Tomorrow we will win the elections and then the nightmare of this government will be over,
conservative leader Friedrich Merz told a jubilant crowd in MunichEurope must become stronger again and Germany must become more involved in the European Union,
Merz saidI'm very confident and, no matter how it turns out, we still have room for improvement,
AfD supporter Julian Adrat, 34, said at a rally of the anti-immigration party BerlinWe have a lot of friends who grew up in Germany whose parents did not
One woman, 35-year-old Natalie, told the BBC
You can insult me all you want, ... but you are insulting millions of voters.
she saidAnyone who wants to be sure this doesn't happen must ensure that there are strong Social Democrats and that they can provide the next chancellor,
Merz said
I don't believe in miracles, but in an election victory,
he said, ... German news agency dpa reported
If we govern, we need few partners and not an endless number of them,
senior conservative ally Markus Söder said in Munich
Anyone who shows up there as a dwarf is treated as a dwarf and sent home as a dwarf,
Merz addedWe will under no circumstances discuss any talks, never mind negotiations or a participation in government, with AfD,
Merz said SaturdayEurope must be a player and not ask maybe to get a seat at a side table,
he saidForming a coalition is likely to be very difficult indeed,
said Jacob Ross, a researcher at the German Council on Foreign Relations
I hope we don't slide too far to the right and that we can form a strong counterweight to America,
he saidTechnically, so much more would be possible than is currently allowed politically,
he said, referring to security methods now available thanks to advances in video and artificial intelligence technology
It's not just about Ukraine. It's about ensuring peace in Europe,
Merz said during a recent visit to Kyiv, where he reaffirmed Germany's commitment to supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression