(COMBO) This combination created on January 13, 2025 of file pictures shows the top candidates of Germany's main political parties for upcoming general elections (upper row, from L) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz from Germany's social democratic SPD party (in Berlin on February 5, 2024), the co-leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party Alice Weidel (in Berlin on September 23, 2024), the leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party Friedrich Merz (in Schmallenberg on November 30, 2024), and (bottom row, from L) German Minister of Economy and Climate Action Robert Habeck from the Greens (in New York on March 8, 2024), the co-leader of the left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) Sahra Wagenknecht (in Berlin on June 10, 2024) and the leader of the liberal free democratic FDP party Christian Lindner (in Berlin on July 17, 2024). A snap general election in Germany is slated for February 23, 2025, following the dramatic collapse of a three-party coalition between SPD, Greens and FDP in November 2024. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STEFANIE LOOSTOBIAS SCHWARZINA FASSBENDERANGELA WEISSJOHN MACDOUGALLRALF HIRSCHBERGER/AFP via Getty Images)