German Political Opponents Unite Against Vance Week Before Vote
- Germany will hold a snap national election on Feb. 23
- Merz’s conservative CDU/CSU alliance is polling ahead
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The last week of the German election campaign unfolds against the backdrop of a chaotic rupture in the transatlantic alliance, an unexpected reality that’s forcing candidates to consider grand new moves to secure the country’s future.
At the Munich Security Conference ending Sunday, Friedrich Merz, the conservative frontrunner in the race to become the next chancellor, found himself in the awkward position of lashing out at JD Vance — calling him “invasive” — when the US vice president used his address at the meeting to pour contempt on Europe.