at her final campaign event in dusseldorf, she stressed her parties environmental focus that said the tone of any coalition government of which -- could set the tone of any coalition government of which the greens are a part. >> to the spd and the conservatives we say, the people are not stupid. we can no longer afford to do things by heart. we need a federal government working for the climate. >> the spd can induce its lead in -- continues its lead in the polls. a good third of those surveyed are still not sure whether they want to vote at all. and if so, who for. that means the shape of the government is anyone's guess. spd and conservatives might be able to form a tea party alliance but a three-way coalition could be needed and said, if so -- instead, if so, including the greens. >> after attending the event in cologne. >> i am in cologne where own off -- olaf scholz held his final campaign event. the conservatives have maned to narrow the gap slightly. his message on the stage today in come out every our accounts. he tried to mobilize spd voters. he is aware that many germans are

if you can believe you had to walk in and hold me, meanwhile is in the c d u stronghold of dusseldorf. the moment that'd be quite content with these exit polls, because all the polls before the election showed them lagging behind the social democrats by 2 or 3 percent in the last days. now, what's gonna happen next is that i don't know if all the postal de mailing votes have been counted yet is estimated that a large number of germans have voted through the mail because of the kobe pandemic . so it's early days, really to say what will happen next? thousands of people are protesting against that, you know, the president and the capital, but supporters of kind say the also out on the streets of tuna. on wednesday, he announced he would rule by decree and ignore parts of the constitution. a funeral taking place for one of 5 palestinians killed by israeli forces the bodies of before others are being withheld by israeli authorities. the troops storm several villages early in the morning. to dawns, government is wanting of huge financial losses after purchased as brought to oil pipelines i

one place that haven't had a whole lot of problems though, has been in dusseldorf, where voters have been able to kill 2 birds with one stone as they carry out the democratic judy. they can also get vaccinated if they haven't been boxed already. lowball vaccination trucks setting up at different polling stations. there it is about as tight as it gets when it comes to a german election. it's probably the most exciting german election has been in recent memory. the only thing we know for sure is that when the dust settles and all of the votes of being counted under government has been formed, and america will no longer be at the helm of the country that she's led for almost 16 years. i had to look back after time in the top job and the challenges she faced after almost 16 years in charge, the time has come for angle merkel to step down as german chancellor. drawing the curtain on a political korea of over 3 decade coming to office in 2005. she's the 3rd longest serving german chancellor of old time, only her mentor helmet co held a position longer in postwar, germany, anglo myrtle. how

in fact, in dusseldorf, people have been able to get vaccinated while they've been voted as mobile vaccination centers against coven 19 with their soap. so you could, you could put your cross in the box and also get yourself inoculated against the pandemic. the one thing we do know i mentioned it's going to come down to coalition months. that's going to be rumbling on perhaps for a few hours baby for a few days. it could well go on for a lot longer than not if the parties can't agree on who will fall in the next government. but the one thing we do know is that when the dust settled angle, a miracle will no longer be the german chancellor. she's held the post for over a decade and a half or over 30 year career in politics will come to the end. certainly on a domestic level here, i had to look at her time in the big chair of the crisis that you faced along the way. after almost 16 years in charge, the time has come for anglo merkel to step down as german chancellor. drawing the curtain on a political korea of over 3 decades, coming to office in 2005. she's the 3rd longest serving german chancell

here's her first dispatch from dusseldorf. well, hello to the hinkle bakery in germany.y? well, because everyone's coming to buy their bread in the morning, chatting about politics, of course, so close to the election. and with more than 30 people working here behind the shop, so much chance to ask people what's most on their minds. the thing about these german elections is that they matter not just inside the country but outside as well. this is all about change. you thought german politics might be addictive and boring? —— predictable and boring? absolutely not. angela merkel has been chancellor here for the last 16 years. she's managed the country through various crises but has also come under attack, and so now it's going to be a big sea change with her stepping down from politics. and outside germany, people are looking as well. the united kingdom — after brexit, of course, bilateral relations are more important than ever, and which is the biggest, most influential and richest eu country? it's germany. for the same reason, joe biden, the president of the united stat

well, let's move across to dusseldorf. now and how to observe hamid, how does we've been saying a lot on the line for the c d u today. what are they hoping for given these raise it in polling margins? we've been seeing i think at the moment i be quite content with these exit polls because all the polls before the election showed them lagging behind the social democrats by 2 or 3 percent in the last days. now, what's gonna happen next is that we, i don't know if all the boost to the mailing votes have been counted yet, is estimated that a large number of germans have voted through the mail because of the kobe demick. so it's early days really to say, what will happen next? but i think what happened here is that when angle americans stepped in over the past week, she, you know, as i said earlier, she is very popular. germans call her moody, which means mother, she really put her full weight behind the social, the christian democrats rather. and i mean, less should. she said that he was represented stability. and that's somet

she's in the cd stronghold of dusseldorf holder. i mean, let's say, was marco's anointed success, and he was the initial front run a bit when i want to race at so tight. pre election polling has the 2 leading parties within the margin of error. i imagine it's pretty tense and the cd you can't today. well, certainly it hasn't been easy for. i mean, unless it is, as you said at the beginning, it did look good for him. but as the weeks of the campaign went on, things change and he sort of his, the center, right. and him sort of became started lagging in the opinion polls. and he also, lot of people told me that he was not charismatic enough. and other people thought that he was quite weak, but also he did a lot of mistakes during his campaign, especially during the floods. when you went with the president, the german president stein my, to the flood. well, the president was giving a speech he was seeing laughing in the back ground and that has actually infuriated a lot of germans again today had a mishap when he went to the battle boxe

starting in dusseldorf, in the country's industrial heartland, katya's second stop has taken her to ahrweiler— and she explained how people there are finding it difficult to prepare for the elections. when we watch you in the morning, many of us are sitting in our kitchen, nursing a cup of tea. this is the kitchen of one lady, who is with me. you cannot sit and watch breakfast tv in your kitchen after these floods and that means, tell us how you feel coming up to these elections. is this on your mind, is this your main priority, all you can think about? this is my home, my kitchen, yes, and every morning, i make my coffee in my bedroom, that is a real luxury. who has coffee in their bedroom? the election, yes, i have so many things to do, the election is really in the back, yes? you have to think about us. we don't have any people that is steering us in the streets but you have to think about it, what is going the right way to make these elections now? we were chatting because i think so many people thought about the floods in the summer, they saw the devastation here in west germany, more th

yesterday in dusseldorf and today she is in a small town which was hit by the terrible floods in julying through the streets and people on the roofs of their home screaming for help in more than 180 people died at this summer. the devastating communities have been trying to rebuild their lives ever since. like marian here. thank you so much for talking to us today. you have been busy trying to rebuild this here in your living room. this was my living _ this here in your living room. this was my living room _ this here in your living room. this was my living room in _ this here in your living room. this was my living room in the water was like that _ was my living room in the water was like that. now we are good to add all the plaster and floor down. and winter is _ all the plaster and floor down. and winter is coming. winter is coming and the— winter is coming. winter is coming and the problem is the gas pipeline is broken _ and the problem is the gas pipeline is broken and they told us to fix them _ is broken and they told us to fix them to— is broken and they told us to fix them to

means that everybody when they come for their morning rolls and bread into bakeries like this, in dusseldorfs like after that. one of the bakers here is here. good morning. you are so enthusiastic about the election that you have already voted? yes. so enthusiastic about the election that you have already voted? yes, i already did- — that you have already voted? yes, i already did. what _ that you have already voted? yes, i already did. what are _ that you have already voted? yes, i already did. what are your- already did. what are your priorities _ already did. what are your priorities in _ already did. what are your priorities in this _ already did. what are your priorities in this election? | already did. what are your. priorities in this election? for one, definitely _ priorities in this election? for one, definitely climate change. another— one, definitely climate change. another topic would be gender equality, but also, like, what's the a-e equality, but also, like, what's the age gap _ equality, but also, like, what's the age gap is — equality, but also, like, what's the age gap is be