Germany's conservative election frontrunner Friedrich Merz on Wednesday called on voters to give him a strong mandate to restrict immigration and rebuild the economy to ward off the rise of the far-right AfD.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday accused his conservative rival Friedrich Merz of being ready to cooperate with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), as the rivals faced off in a heated TV debate just two weeks before the country heads to the polls.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and opposition leader Friedrich Merz will face off in a final head-to-head debate Wednesday, four days before the election, in a campaign overshadowed by the rise

When Germans vote on Sunday, conservative Friedrich Merz is the strong favourite to become the next chancellor after a bitterly fought campaign roiled by the rise of the AfD, a far-right party vocally backed by Team Trump.