Candidates disagree on the US, the far right and NATO

(CLO) Chancellor Olaf Scholz disagreed on many important issues with his rival Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the German election debate on Sunday.

In the first debate before the February 23 election, Mr. Merz criticized Chancellor Scholz for being indecisive, pushing Germany into economic crisis.

Asked whether the European Union would be ready to respond if the US imposed tariffs, Social Democratic Chancellor Scholz, who trails Mr Merz in the polls, said: "Yes... As the European Union, we can act within an hour."

Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and his rival Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) before a televised debate. Photo: Pool

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs on America’s biggest trading partners, accusing them of benefiting from America’s prosperity. Trade policy is a competence of the EU, managed by the European Commission in Brussels.

Mr Trump and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, backed by Elon Musk, were also top topics in the debate.

Mr Merz, the polls’ favourite to become German chancellor, has been reluctant to raise taxes or borrow to meet NATO’s defence spending target of 2% of GDP, far below the 5% demanded by Mr Trump.

Mr Scholz said that was not enough, while Mr Merz showed a willingness to discuss scrapping Germany's spending cap, although his election manifesto pledged to maintain constitutional debt limits.

The two sides also argued over the far-right AfD party. Mr Scholz warned that Mr Merz could not be trusted to control the party, while Mr Merz denied the accusation and blamed Mr Scholz's "leftist" policies for sending the AfD to second place in the polls.

Ngoc Anh (according to DW, Reuters, DPA)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tranh-luan-bau-cu-duc-cac-ung-vien-bat-dong-ve-my-phe-cuc-huu-va-nato-post333795.html