KEY POINTS
  • Armin Laschet was seen at the start of the election campaign as the most likely successor to Merkel, but his popularity has dropped in recent weeks.
  • Socialist Candidate Olaf Scholz, on the other hand, has perhaps been the biggest surprise in the campaign.
  • Annalena Baerbock, the Green party representative is likely to have a key role in coalition talks.
Candidates to the German 2021 election.

Germany's federal elections on Sunday will usher in a new political era for both the country and the wider European Union.

Angela Merkel, the bloc's longest serving leader, is leaving the German chancellery after 16 years in power. Voter polls suggest that the election outcome is highly uncertain, with several coalition configurations possible.