German Christian Democratic Union Chairman Friedrich Merz secured the conservative candidacy to challenge Olaf Scholz for the chancellorship, clearing a field of rivals just over a year before the next scheduled national election.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gave a speech on his government’s half-trillion-euro draft budget for the next year in the Bundestag in Berlin on Wednesday morning and warned of the "big economic problem" ahead.

Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz looks on during a press conference with Bavarian State Prime Minister Markus Soeder of the Christian Social Union (CSU) in Berlin, Germany, September 17,

The leaders of Germany's conservatives have agreed to nominate Christian Democrat (CDU) chief Friedrich Merz to run as chancellor in next year's federal election, the head of Bavaria's conservatives,

German conservative leader Friedrich Merz has announced he will run for chancellor in next year’s elections, saying the country’s centre-right is fully united behind his candidacy. The move by the leader of the Christian Democratic Union finally resolves one of the biggest questions hovering over Europe’s biggest economy — who will lead Germany’s centre-right into the Bundestag election that current polls suggest it has a strong chance of winning.

Merz is due to hold a news conference with Markus Soeder, head of the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the CSU, at noon (1000 GMT).

Squeezed out of top-level politics by his arch party rival Angela Merkel more than two decades ago, Friedrich Merz is on course to land his first ever government job: as Germany's next chancellor.