In Germany, elections to the Bundestag are held on Sunday. The Germans will have to determine the future of the country without Merkel.
Polling stations opened at 08:00 local time (09:00 Turkish time) and will close at 18:00 (19:00).
60.4 million people have the right to vote, including 31.2 million women and 29.2 million men.
For the first time, 2.8 million Germans will exercise the right to vote.
6,211 candidates – representatives of 47 parties – compete for 709 seats in the federal assembly.
Acting Chancellor Angela Merkel does not run for the Bundestag for the first time in 16 years. A candidate from the CDU / CSU (an alliance of two conservative parties in Germany: the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union), 60-year-old Armin Laschet, who is also the head of the ruling CDU, is running for the post of Federal Chancellor; SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany) candidate, finance minister 63-year-old Olaf Scholz; and Soyuz 90 / Green party candidate 40-year-old Annalena Berbock.
According to the polls, the main struggle will unfold between the CDU / CSU and the Social Democrats.
In the 2017 elections, the CDU / CSU won 32.9 percent of the vote, SPD – 20.5 percent, Alternative for Germany (AfD) – 12.6 percent, Free Democratic Party of Germany (FDP) – 10.7 percent, the Left Party – 9.2 percent, the Greens – 8.9 percent.