Berlin, Germany - January 11, 2025 Storyline: Germany's major parties have been submitting their candidates and their manifestos ahead of a federal election in six weeks time. The vote was called after the ruling three-party coalition fell apart late last year. In Berlin, current German leader Olaf Scholz was confirmed as the Social Democrat Party (SPD) candidate for Chancellor at a SPD conference. Only five delegates out of nearly 600 failed to back him. The Chancellor said Germany was at a cross roads and that would implement tax and investment plans to help all sections of German society, stressing that the far right posed a threat to the institutions of German government. SPD is currently third in the polls on 16 percent, 14 points behind the Conservatives on 30 percent and six points behind the second placed Alternative for Germany (AfD) on 22 percent. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach believes there's still time to turn things around. In Saxony State, on the other hand, the atmosphere is less festive. The far-right AfD was going through the same process of approving a candidate for chancellor in Riesa, where delegates were delayed by protesters en route to the venue. Alice Weidel, who is publicly backed by technology billionaire Elon Musk in the U.S., was confirmed as their candidate. The co-leader of AfD left no ambiguity over what her migration policy would be if elected as chancellor. In Hamburg, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) rubber-stamped Friedrich Merz as its candidate for the conservative bloc. He lashed out at Scholz's recent rebuke of U.S. President Elect Donald Trump's coveting of neighboring territories, believing that he can provide the right balance between Europe and the U.S.. The Conservatives are running on a manifesto of keeping Germany's strict rules on government borrowing and lowering income and sales taxes. With the other main parties Greens, Free Democrats and BSW also approving their candidates, The country is set for a 6-week final dash to the Bundestag and the Chancellors office. Shotlist: Berlin, Germany - Jan 11, 2025: 1. Various of Social Democrat Party (SPD) conference, participants posing for photos, showing slogan cards; 2. Various of Olaf Scholz, candidate of SPD, walking in, holding flowers; 3. Video on screen highlighting Scholz's figure, election slogan, Scholz walking to podium; 4. SOUNDBITE (German) Olaf Scholz, candidate of SPD; German Chancellor (partially overlaid with shot 5): "Now it's about prudence. And it's about experience so that our country is able to master these difficult times well. Others want to demolish our democracy with their chainsaws. We are fighting to preserve and renew the successful 'Made in Germany' brand for the ordinary people in our country. So, let's fight." [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 5. Audience; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 6. Participants applauding; 7. Karl Lauterbach, Health Minister of Germany, in live-streaming interview 8. SOUNDBITE (English) Karl Lauterbach, Health Minister of Germany (starting with shot 7): "I do think that the election campaign is just starting and the issues that we basically put forward are important issues for the general population: payable rent, long term care, health care, retirement benefits, security, internal security, external security. So I think in the next couple of weeks, the message will come forward. And the election is much more open than many people believe." 9. Various of Scholz on stage, audience. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]