Berlin (AFP)

One week before the legislative elections, the leaders of the three largest German parties clash on Sunday in a last major televised debate, while the race for Angela Merkel's succession remains more open than ever.

Currently the best placed candidate, the Minister of Finance and Social Democratic Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz had won according to the polls during the two previous games, posing as an experienced and calm manager, reassuring qualities in the eyes of the Germans.

Conservative Armin Laschet, who considers himself the natural heir of Angela Merkel, was more offensive in the home stretch of his election campaign marked at first by a certain nonchalance, then several embarrassing missteps.

But the Rhenish, unpopular, has so far not managed to regain the advantage: its formation, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) allied with the Bavarian CSU, has risen a little in the surveys to between 20 and 22 %, against 25 to 26% for the SPD.

"We feel that something is moving (...) I am convinced that we will arrive first," he assured in an interview with the Sunday edition of the conservative newspaper Die Welt.

- Undecided -

The Greens and their leader Annalena Baerbock, who had aroused enthusiasm in the spring before committing several blunders largely attributed to her inexperience, currently score between 15 and 17% of the vote, a gap that seems to put the 40-year-old lawyer out. race for the supreme position.

Surprises, however, are not excluded.

40% of German voters still do not know for whom they will vote, according to a representative study by the Allensbach Institute.

There are also the margins of error in the polls and the large part this year - due to the pandemic - of postal voting.

Annalena Baerbock, co-leader and candidate for the Greens to succeed Angela Merkel, at a Green Congress in Berlin on September 19, 2021 Odd ANDERSEN AFP

"The election must decide the last government that will influence the climate crisis," and without the Greens this will not be possible, Baerbock said at a party congress on Sunday.

At the very least, environmentalists should play a key role in forming a coalition government after the election, probably with three parties.

The "truel", broadcast at 8:15 pm (6:15 pm GMT) on the private channels ProSieben, Kabeleins and Sat1, will offer Armin Laschet, 60, a final chance to put Olaf Scholz, 63, in difficulty.

And perhaps to prevent the humiliating ejection in the opposition of his conservative party announced by the polls.

- Enjoying Merkel-

Usually known for his moderation, the leader of the most populous German region - North Rhine-Westphalia - never ceases to raise the specter of a push to the left in the country in the event of an alliance between the SPD, the Greens and the radical left die Linke, which seems close at hand.

Olaf Scholz and Annalena Baerbock have, however, ruled out any alliance with this party, currently at 6% in the polls, as long as it continues in particular to demand a dismantling of NATO.

The conservative also attacked Olaf Scholz head-on, citing an embarrassing judicial investigation involving an anti-money laundering unit under the supervision of his ministry.

The latter will have to explain himself on this subject Monday to the Finance Committee of the Bundestag, via video conference.

Angela Merkel, who will leave politics after 16 years in power and remains very popular, largely steered clear of the campaign at first before coming to Mr Laschet's rescue.

She multiplies the meetings at her side.

Armin Laschet, leader of North Rhine-Westphalia and CDU candidate for Chancellery and Chancellor Angela Merkel at a meeting on September 13, 2021 in Berlin Kay Nietfeld POOL / AFP

"It should benefit him," said political scientist Karl-Rudolf Korte of the University of Duisburg, "like all those who in recent years have chosen proximity to Merkel," he said.

But whatever the outcome of the election, his conservative camp is preparing for a historically low result, likely to tarnish Angela Merkel's record.

And already the settling of scores internally has started: Wolfgang Schäuble, President of the Bundestag and gray eminence of the Conservatives, made it partly responsible for the weakness of the CDU, in an interview on Sunday in Tagesspiegel, for having in his eyes badly prepared his succession.

© 2021 AFP