Angela Merkel has shoe size 38, she makes that clear. The Chancellor is on a stage on Tuesday evening on the Alter Markt in Stralsund, it rains sometimes more and sometimes less. She says that she was asked many times that day that Georg Günther wanted to follow in her footsteps. Günther is on stage with her, he wants to win her constituency. So Merkel says that she is size 38 and is confident that Günther can do it. Next to her on the stage is Armin Laschet, who also wants to try following in the footsteps. Only not in their constituency, but in the Chancellery. Merkel has kind words for him too. It is a highly acclaimed appearance of the two so close to the election. The audience crowd under the umbrellas in front of the stage. Further back, behind the barriers,some shout something of "dictatorship" and "traitors to the people".

Matthias Wyssuwa

Political correspondent for Northern Germany and Scandinavia based in Hamburg.

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Since 1990 Merkel has reliably won her constituency in the north, constituency 15, Vorpommern-Rügen - Vorpommern Greifswald 1. In her last election in 2017, she won 44 percent, with the second vote her party got 32.9 percent.

That was exactly the result that the Union received at the federal level in 2017 - it was the worst since 1949. Merkel's best result in the constituency was a good 56 percent, her weakest a good 37 percent - that was in 1998, when the CDU, after 16 years, was Helmut Kohl had to go into opposition.

After 16 years in the Chancellery, Merkel is now threatened again.

Merkel is now campaigning so that it does not come to that on Sunday.

In June it was reported that she had informed her party leadership that she would allegedly stay largely out of the election campaign.

She is said to have initially only accepted for one kick-off and one final event.

At that time, however, the Union was predicted to have twice as many percentage points as the SPD.

Now, three months later, it has turned into a backlog.

Michael Sack, the CDU's top candidate for the state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which takes place on the same day as the federal elections, is also in Stralsund.

His chances of victory are even worse than Laschet's.

Merkel brought a lot of glamor to the constituency

In the old market in Stralsund, Merkel talks about the successes in her constituency. Of the fact that here in the region in 2004 more than 24 percent of the people were unemployed and today less than eight. Much is ascribed to their work here in the north, for example the new bridge over the Strelasund, which every summer leads the tourist masses to Rügen, to the popular Ozeaneum. She has brought a lot of glamor to her constituency and celebrities, from the Norwegian Crown Prince couple to the American President George W. Bush. So on this wet evening, probably her last big appearance as Federal Chancellor in Stralsund, it is Laschet.

Merkel says that with a Federal Chancellor Armin Laschet, the course will be continued with regard to jobs. She knew from him that as Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia he was fighting for every job in his state and that was how he would do it as Federal Chancellor. She speaks of maintaining moderation in the future and of creating opportunities and freedom for companies and people who want to contribute. Then she asks to enable Günther to follow in her footsteps. And she asks that we help secure Germany's prosperity and make security possible. The one who can do that is Laschet.

The promised one then goes to the microphone and praises the constituency that Merkel has always raved about. He says: “Be proud of this MP, this Chancellor.” Laschet rightly points the screamers behind the barriers. Anyone who thinks there is no pandemic should look into the intensive care units. He remembers the petrol station employee who has just been murdered for advising a customer of the mask requirement. “We don't want this violence,” he says.

Then it comes to the economy, a “climate-neutral industrial country”, Laschet warns of “red-green ban policy” and talks about the challenges of internal security. After a few minutes it's all over, friendly applause, and Günther can address the last words to the audience. The Chancellor watches from the side as he reads his words. He does not reveal his shoe size.