German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his main opponent, conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz, are expected to face off in at least two TV debates ahead of snap elections on February 23, BTA reports.
Public broadcasters ADR and ZDF have scheduled a debate for February 9, while private broadcaster RTL and Stern magazine will organize another debate on February 16.
The contenders in the race
Scholz, leader of the Social Democrats, lost a confidence vote in the Bundestag last week and has asked German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to call early elections. Merz, leader of the center-right Christian Democrats and their Bavarian partner, the Christian Social Union, is currently leading in opinion polls and is considered the frontrunner for the chancellorship.
If he wins the election, he is expected to lead Germany's next governing coalition.
More debates and new entrants
In addition to the debates between Scholz and Merz, public broadcasters will also host a debate between the leading candidates of the Greens and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
The RTL television network has also announced that it is in talks with the chancellor and other leading party candidates to hold additional televised debates.
An additional challenge for the parties in the race is the populist Sarah Wagenknecht Alliance (Austria), whose founder has announced that she will run for chancellor. It is not yet clear whether she will be invited to participate in the debates, as her party is significantly lagging behind in opinion polls.