German chancellor candidates clash in second TV debate

Germany’s three candidates to replace Angela Merkel as chancellor have clashed in their second TV debate. Frontrunner Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats was hoping to extend his lead in the polls – as he faced a grilling from his conservative rival Armin Laschet. Third-placed candidate Annalena Baerbock of the Greens tried to make up lost ground. Voters in Germany go to the polls to choose a new parliament on September 26th. In a snap poll taken shortly after the debate, around 20% of respondents said conservative candidate Armin Laschet performed best in the debate. Meanwhile, over 30% said Scholz was the most convincing, making him the winner among the three. Green candidate Annalena Baerbock performed only marginally better than her conservative rival Armin Laschet but that puts Angela Merkel’s party at the losing end of this TV debate. That being said, 21% think all candidates performed equally well.