Scholz vs. Merz: What the Chancellor candidates discussed regarding Ukraine during the debates.

During the hour-and-a-half live debate, 66-year-old Olaf Scholz and 69-year-old Friedrich Merz made considerable efforts to keep the discussion as civil as possible, though their mutual dislike occasionally surfaced. "Why do you have to be so foolish?" was the first to break the tension, Olaf Scholz criticized Merz’s anti-migrant initiatives, particularly the introduction of border controls at the Schengen zone's borders. The current Chancellor of Germany believes that such an initiative would undermine Berlin's position in the EU, especially when Europe needs unity more than ever. According to Mr. Scholz, his government has successfully curbed abuses in the German asylum system. "Listen, are you aware that you don't live on this planet?" retorted Friedrich Merz. "All your words are just a fairy tale."

Meanwhile, "fairy tale teller" Scholz adopted an aggressive tactic, stating that he cannot trust Friedrich Merz after the Christian Democrats (CDU) proposed an anti-migrant initiative in the Bundestag at the end of January, with support from the right-wing populist and pro-Russian Alternative for Germany (AfD). The current head of the German government is convinced that his opponent is ready to form a coalition with the far-right if he wins. The CDU leader was forced to defend himself, claiming there could be no long-term cooperation with the AfD.

Perhaps the most intense round of the debate focused on the economic case. Mr. Merz accused the Chancellor of deindustrializing the country, calling his policies catastrophic. The CDU leader reminded viewers that since Olaf Scholz took office three years ago, 50,000 companies have gone bankrupt in Germany, half of them in 2024 alone. According to Merz, these figures are a record for Germany over the past 15 years. Over the last three years, Merz asserted, Germany has been in recession. Scholz strongly disagreed, believing that Germany's economic situation is a result of external factors. "I am not the one who invaded Ukraine, and I am not the one who stopped gas supplies; that was Putin," he stated. "Then why, for heaven's sake, did you abandon nuclear energy?" Merz shot back at a very high pitch. Scholz, however, calmly replied that a return to nuclear energy would cost the government €40 billion, which is a "heavy, if not unbearable, budgetary burden right now."

Overall, it should be noted that the level of discussion on foreign policy issues dropped to nearly subterranean levels. In particular, when discussing the possibility of Donald Trump imposing tariffs on European exports, Scholz and Merz showed absolute unanimity: the European Union must respond "unanimously and decisively" to such actions. They were also in agreement regarding the current occupant of the Oval Office's proposal to turn the Gaza Strip into a "Middle Eastern Riviera." Olaf Scholz called the statement a scandal and the term itself outrageous. Friedrich Merz fully agreed with him. However, when it came to cooperating with the White House, both politicians tried to provide as evasive answers as possible, limiting themselves to flowery phrases about the necessity of European unity in dialogue with Washington.

The debaters also found common ground on the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war, albeit with one caveat: Scholz remains adamant in his refusal to supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus cruise missiles, while Merz, on the contrary, is ready to follow the example of France, the UK, and the US and provide Kyiv with his long-range capabilities. However, both agree on the necessity of continuing to support Ukraine in its struggle against Putin's Russia.

According to a survey by the Wahlen research group, following the debates, German viewers narrowly awarded victory to Olaf Scholz. He received 37% of the votes, while Friedrich Merz garnered 34%. Another 29% of respondents saw no difference between the politicians' performances. Notably, Olaf Scholz was more favored by women and young people, while Friedrich Merz appealed more to men and the elderly. Nonetheless, such results are unlikely to affect the outcome of the election campaign: the coalition of Christian and Social Democrats led by Mr. Merz remains out of reach with 30% of the votes, while Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats settle for 15% support.

It is worth noting that there are less than two weeks left until the snap elections in the German Bundestag. The unexpected public vote in Germany will take place on February 23, and the candidates for Chancellor from the Greens and AfD will join the debates with the main competitors this coming Sunday.

So far, the course and outcome of the debates between Scholz and Merz have clearly demonstrated that after the elections, the current opponents could very well become allies: shared approaches to foreign issues may help find compromise on domestic matters. In any case, this is precisely the point emphasized by German media, paying special attention to Mr. Scholz's aggressive play. "Who is this man who stood against Friedrich Merz?" questions Der Spiegel. "The Chancellor, whose speeches often seem too vague even to social democrats, was more aggressive in the duel than ever. He taunted the conservative leader, interrupted his opponent, and repeatedly made direct accusations against him."

It was "very clear and apparent" that Scholz was in a defensive position but remembered that the best defense is an offense. And what about Merz? This usually sharp-tongued orator behaved like a statesman. The CDU/CSU candidate mainly spoke in a restrained manner and even praised Scholz's government activities at certain moments. It seems that Merz's main task, whose political strength is confidently leading in the polls, was to avoid making mistakes. He aimed to attract those voters who do not yet see him as a suitable candidate for Chancellor," the publication concludes.

Die Zeit also points to the aggressive behavior during the debates, which is uncharacteristic of the current Chancellor of Germany: "Just his posture alone should have shown that Olaf Scholz wanted to position himself as the attacker. He often leaned over the table, raised his index finger as if signaling the hosts that he wished to speak, and aggressively turned to his opponent, who was a head taller than him. However, the televised duel, in which the Chancellor and his opponent engaged in a good fight, is unlikely to change the dynamics of this election campaign."

The Handelsblatt publication, right after the verbal duel between Scholz and Merz, voiced a forecast regarding the future configuration of the new German government: "Despite all the attacks on the CDU after the scandalous harsh migration initiatives of Merz, supported by the votes of right-wing populists from the Alternative for Germany (AfD), it seems that after the elections, a grand coalition of CDU and SPD will be formed again. Merz left no doubt that, if he wins the elections, he will support a coalition either with the SPD or with the Greens. In this case, Merz, as the leader of the election race, set only one strict condition: the coalition partner must move towards the CDU/CSU on migration policy issues. However, otherwise, he signaled friendly intentions, including on foreign policy."

By the way, analyzing the international agenda following the debates, Die Welt summarized the following: "Scholz used the well-known tactic: many are to blame, but not him. The perfection of this thinking culminates in the following gem: 'I did not invade Ukraine.'

Nevertheless, the fact remains: over three years of Putin's "special operation," official Berlin has transitioned from supplying Ukraine with protective helmets to legendary Leopard tanks. Meanwhile, Germany remains, on the one hand, a key financial donor to our country in the European Union (EU), and on the other hand, an opponent of Ukraine's NATO membership.