BERLIN (AP) 鈥 German Chancellor Olaf Scholz accused his main challenger in the upcoming election of 鈥渃onstant about turns," while Friedrich Merz, the opposition leader and front-runner, accused Scholz of leaving behind an economic 鈥渄isaster鈥 as parliament met Tuesday for the last time before the country's Feb. 23 election.
Polls give Merz's center-right Union bloc the lead, with Scholz's center-left Social Democrats well behind and showing little sign so far of narrowing the gap. They put the far-right , or AfD, in second place.
Scholz told lawmakers that his governing coalition, which in a dispute over how to revitalize Germany's struggling economy, faced enormous challenges from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing energy crisis and inflation.
Pointing to the 鈥渋rritations鈥 caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's and his announcement of and aluminum, Scholz said that 鈥渢he wind is blowing in our face at the moment. And the truth is that that won't change fundamentally in the coming years.鈥
鈥淪trong leadership, strong nerves, a clear course 鈥 that's what matters in such difficult times,鈥 he added. 鈥淣ot fickleness and a loud mouth.鈥
He accused Merz of 鈥渃onstant about turns,鈥 for instance on aspects of policy toward Ukraine and refugees from that country.
Merz said Scholz and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck of the environmentalist Greens, who also is running for the top job, reminded him of 鈥渢wo managers who have driven the company into the wall, then go to the owners and say they'd like to carry on the same way for four years.鈥
He said that Germany's economy is shrinking for a third consecutive year, and that the government is leaving behind 鈥渁 sheer disaster鈥 on the labor market.
鈥淲hat we hear from you is ... 鈥業 did everything right, it鈥檚 just that everyone else hasn't understood this chancellor's wisdom and intelligence,'鈥 Merz said.
The pair have laid out to pep up the and deal with irregular migration.
On the latter, Scholz accused Merz anew of 鈥渋rresponsible gambling鈥 and breaking a taboo when he brought a nonbinding motion calling for many more migrants to be turned back at Germany's borders to parliament, by a narrow majority thanks to AfD's votes 鈥 a first in postwar Germany.
Merz again insisted that there is 鈥渘o question鈥 of his party working with AfD. He said the next government must succeed in facing Germany's challenges, otherwise right-wing populists could one day 鈥渃ome close to a majority.鈥
