Germany’s snap election will not just be a referendum on Scholz, but on an entire democratic system | Jörg Lau

Olaf Scholz , the German chancellor, and his challengers were hurling insults at each other in the hallowed halls of the Reichstag .

The most powerful country on the continent might be headed for a test more stark than anything since reunification more than three decades ago .

Germany is in a severe economic crisis caused by high energy prices and bad management decisions.

Merz, the leading contender to be Germany ’s next chancellor, has vowed to do more on defence.

But he will not say where the hundreds of billions of Euros that it takes to remake the Bundeswehr into a functioning force ready to defend Germany and Nato will come from.

The turnaround for the German economy will not happen without more government spending on education and innovation, infrastructure and investment.