(FILES) Then German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L), main candidate for the Social Democratic Party (SPD), and Friedrich Merz, then main candidate and chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) pose for a photo prior to the TV debate joint hosted by public broadcasters ARD and ZDF in Berlin on February 9, 2025, ahead of parliamentary elections due to take place on February 23, 2025. A year ago, German lawmakers elected conservative Friedrich Merz as chancellor. The chancellor had vowed to diminish the appeal of the country's far-right AfD party with two main strategies -- taking a tough stance on immigration to outflank the far-right party on the issue, and aiming to enact bold reforms to prove that centrist parties are still capable of acting. Tighter immigration rules have led to a significant decrease in arrivals -- but the chancellor does not appear to be benefitting political. Meanwhile the reform drive has stalled due to bickering between the conservative CDU and the social democratic SPD coalition parties, with the long-struggling economy making a slower than expected recovery. (Photo by Michael Kappeler / AFP via Getty Images)