PHOTO COLLECTION: Germany Election Candidates

Election posters at a street in Duesseldorf, Germany, show the top candidates for chancellor, Robert Habeck of the Green Party, Friedrich Merz of the CDU and Olaf Scholz for the SPD, from left, prior the German federal Bundestag elections in February, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks at the the beginning of a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks at the the beginning of a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks at the the beginning of a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks at the the beginning of a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks at the the beginning of a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People trying to get a look at the chancellor Olaf Scholz during the federal election campaign start rally of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Bielefeld, Germany, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)Meissner)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during a special party convention of the Social Democratic Party, SPD, in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz speaks at a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz speaks at the the beginning of a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz speaks at the the beginning of a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

The top candidate for Chancellor, Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union, CDU, holds a speech at a party event ahead of the forthcoming general Bundestag elections in Brilon, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

The top candidate for Chancellor, Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union, CDU, holds a speech at a party event ahead of the forthcoming general Bundestag elections in Brilon, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

The top candidate for Chancellor, Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union, CDU, cheers with a beer at a party event ahead of the forthcoming general Bundestag elections in Brilon, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Green Party top candidate, federal minister for economy Robert Habeck speaks at a party convention in, Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Green Party top candidate, federal minister for economy Robert Habeck speaks at a party convention in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Green Party top candidate, federal minister for economy Robert Habeck speaks at a party convention in, Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Green Party top candidate, federal minister for economy Robert Habeck speaks at a party convention in, Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Green Party top candidate, federal minister for economy Robert Habeck, left, and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock receive applause after their speech at a party convention in, Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Green Party top candidate, federal minister for economy Robert Habeck, left, and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock attend a party convention in, Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Green Party top candidate, federal minister for economy Robert Habeck, right, speaks with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at a party convention in, Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

German Vice Chancellor Economy and Climate Minister and top candidate of the Green Party Robert Habeck speaks during a debate about migration the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Vice Chancellor Economy and Climate Minister and top candidate of the Green Party Robert Habeck speaks during a debate about migration the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck attends the cabinet meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

German Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck answers questions outside the congress center at the Annual Meeting of World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, shakes hands with German Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck during the cabinet meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Alice Weigel co-leader of the Alternative for Germany, AfD, party speaks during a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

FDP top candidate and former finance minister Christian Lindner attends a protest rally during the Economic Warning Day, in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Election posters showing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, centre, CDU top candidate Friedrich Metz, right and Green Party top candidate Robert Habeck in Frankfurt, Germany, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

An election poster for the Liberal Democrats (FDP) with former finance minister Christian Lindner is seen beside a poster of the Social Democrats (SPD) with German chancellor Olaf Scholz, both concerning the economy at a street in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, ahead of the Bundestag federal elections in February, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

An election poster of FDP top candidate and former finance minister Christian Lindner on display prior to the upcoming German federal Bundestag elections, in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

A man on a bicycle passes an election poster of the top candidate for chancellor, Friedrich Merz of the CDU prior the German federal Bundestag elections in February, in Duesseldorf, Germany, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

A defaced election poster for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) with top candidate Friedrich Merz, who is smeared with a Hitler moustache, is seen at a street in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, ahead of the federal election in February. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

An election poster shows CDU top candidate Friedrich Metz in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

An election poster of the German far right Alternative for Germany party (AfD), right, is attached to a lamppost in front of a giant election poster showing the chairman of the German Christian Democratic Party (CDU) Friedrich Merz, at the CDU headquarters in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. Slogan reads: ‘Now AfD’. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

An election poster for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) with top candidate Friedrich Merz is seen beside a poster of the Social Democrats (SPD) with German chancellor Olaf Scholz at a street in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, ahead of the Bundestag federal elections in February, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

An election poster of Green Party top candidate federal minister for economy Robert Habeck on display prior to the upcoming German federal Bundestag elections, in Bonn, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

An election poster showing AfD top candidate Alice Weidel is fixed high up on a lamp pole in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

A torn part of an AfD election poster showing top candidate Alice Weidel lies on the ground in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

A damaged election poster showing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is displayed on a road in Wernigerode, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

An election poster of SPD top candidate Chancellor Olaf Scholz on display prior to the upcoming German federal Bundestag elections, in Bonn, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)