Friedrich Merz, a conservative rival of Angela Merkel, is on track to become the next chancellor, though the far-right AfD is expected to make historic gains.

At the heart of the election is the economy, which has been experiencing a downturn. The ruling coalition, comprising the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP),

For the first time since the fall of the Third Reich 80 years ago, there is a real possibility that a party with direct ideological continuity to the Nazis will enter government.

Germans are going to the polls on Sunday for national elections. Opinion polls suggest the outcome will be a new chancellor and, likely, a new governing coalition.

An economic slump, an immigration crisis and the lifting of a security blanket provided for decades by the U.S. are issues on the minds of German voters. The far-right AfD is polling in second place.