Germany set to hold elections today under the shadow of US-Europe rift

German politicians made a final scramble for votes on Saturday on the eve of key elections in which conservatives hope to win despite the dramatic rise of the far-Right targeting a record score.

- Agence France-Presse

BERLIN:

Sunday's vote comes at a time of upheaval for Europe and its biggest economy as US President Donald Trump has ended a united Western stance on the Ukraine conflict by reaching out to Russia. Trump's threats of a trade war spell more trouble ahead for Germany, after its economy has shrunk for the past two years, and as it also faces bitter social polarisation on the flashpoint issues of immigration and security.

Sunday's vote is being held more than half a year ahead of schedule after centre-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-way coalition collapsed in early November.

The conservative CDU-CSU alliance, led by Friedrich Merz, has long had a strong lead in opinion polls on around 30%, double that of Scholz's SPD.