Limiting Germany's refugee intake is a major issue in the campaign for the February 23 federal election, with the conservatives and far-right parties leading polls partly thanks to promises to halt the influx.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected to be voted out of office as Europe's biggest economy goes to the polls. Sky News looks at the key issues in the elections and what could happen next.

BERLIN — The Left party is experiencing an unexpected momentum boost less than two weeks before Germany’s national election. Nearly 23,500 people have joined the far-left party since the start of the year, according to figures first reported by Der Spiegel, pushing its total to a record 81,200 — the highest since 2009.

Limiting Germany's refugee intake is a major issue in the campaign for the February 23 federal election, with the conservatives and far-right parties leading polls partly thanks to promises to halt the influx.

Major parties and minnows are all promising more and quicker deportations to solve the migration debate as the country is set to hold elections next Sunday. View on euronews

Germany could face months of political uncertainty after the federal election on Feb. 23 as opposition chief Friedrich Merz, whose conservative CDU/CSU bloc is far ahead in the polls, will almost certainly have to form a coalition to secure a majority.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz insists he would 'never' cooperate with the far right in the way he says his rival Friedrich Merz has done. Meanwhile, Merz said working with the AfD was out of the question.