German chancellor candidates clash on Trump, the far-right and NATO

Berlin — 

Europe is prepared to respond "within an hour" if the United States levies tariffs against the European Union, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said successful a pre-election statement with his blimpish challenger Friedrich Merz.

In the archetypal duel up of the Feb. 23 election, Merz portrayed Scholz arsenic a ditherer who had led Germany into economical crisis, portion the Social Democrat presented himself arsenic an experienced person successful bid of the details.

Asked if the EU was acceptable with a targeted effect if the U.S. imposed tariffs, Scholz, good down Merz successful the polls, said, "Yes ... We arsenic the European Union tin enactment wrong an hour."

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to enact tariffs against the United States' largest trading partners, accusing them of free-riding connected American prosperity. Trade argumentation is an EU competence, tally by the European Commission successful Brussels.

Trump and the far-right Alternative for Germany, endorsed by his confidante Elon Musk, overshadowed the debate.

Merz, acold up successful the polls and the favourite to go Germany's adjacent chancellor, expressed reluctance to rise taxes oregon get to scope the NATO alliance's defence spending people of 2% of gross home product, acold abbreviated of the 5% Trump is demanding.

When Scholz said that would not beryllium enough, Merz signaled his openness to sermon scrapping Germany's totemic spending headdress — contempt a manifesto pledge to support the law indebtedness braked.

The 2 clashed implicit the AfD, with Scholz informing that Merz could not beryllium trusted not to govern with the party. Merz ruled that out, blaming what helium called Scholz's "left-wing" policies for fueling the far-right party's emergence to 2nd successful the polls.