Overview

• Robert Habeck, Green Party candidate, has called on supporters to boost poll numbers in an effort to secure a spot in the televised debate with Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Friedrich Merz (CDU).
• Recent polls commissioned by ARD and ZDF show Habeck as the most popular candidate, with the Greens surpassing the SPD in voter support for the first time in two years.
• ARD and ZDF remain firm on their decision to host a two-person debate, citing editorial considerations, and have offered Habeck a separate debate with AfD candidate Alice Weidel, which he declined.
• The Greens argue that excluding Habeck from the main debate misrepresents voter choices and undermines the principle of equal opportunity in election coverage.
• Private broadcaster RTL has also planned a two-person debate featuring Scholz and Merz, further sidelining the Green Party's representation in key election discussions.