Overview

• CDU leader Friedrich Merz struggles to energize his campaign, with internal divisions and weak public engagement threatening the party's performance in upcoming elections.
• The Left Party focuses on securing three critical direct mandates to bypass the five-percent threshold and retain Bundestag representation, with slim chances in key districts like Treptow-Köpenick and Leipzig II.
• Green Party politician Stefan Gelbhaar files legal action over fabricated harassment allegations, as internal party criticism highlights the need for structural reforms in handling such cases.
• A parliamentary investigation is launched into the deadly Magdeburg Christmas market attack, with six fatalities and nearly 300 injuries, aiming to address security lapses and systemic failures.
• Sachsen-Anhalt's Ministerpräsident Reiner Haseloff calls for stricter immigration and asylum policies, alongside improved inter-agency communication, in response to the Magdeburg tragedy.