German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Christian Democratic leader Friedrich Merz cast their votes in the German parliamentary elections on Sunday morning shortly after 11.00 am, according to reports from German media, including Bild.
Both leaders were accompanied by their wives at the polling stations. Scholz voted in Potsdam, while Merz cast his vote in Niedereimer, North Rhine-Westphalia.
Earlier in the morning, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier voted at a school in Berlin. He urged all Germans to exercise their right to vote. “Use your right to vote. Voice your opinion on the future of our country, knowing that your vote can be decisive,” he said. Bavarian Premier Markus Söder visited a polling station in Nuremberg.
Polls suggest that Merz’s Christian Democrats are set to replace Scholz’s SPD as the largest party in the Bundestag. Merz is on course to become the new chancellor, though he will likely need the Social Democrats to form a coalition.
Polling stations remain open until 18:00, with the first exit polls expected immediately afterwards.
