- German Chancellor Angela Merkel
German Chancellor Angela Merkel kicked off her official elections campaign on Wednesday evening, by explaining differences between herself and rival parties on taxes and minimum wage. Merkel stressed out that any kind of tax increase would have a devastating impact on the economy, referring to Social Democratic party, which has pledged to raise the income tax for the wealthy and institute a minimum wage. This plan is already considered as an unpopular, according to recent polls, though most Germans support the introduction of a minimum wage. Addressing a crowd of more than 1,000 people Merkel welcomed recent GDP figures, however warned against the perils of excessive debt. She also noticed that an increase in borrowing costs would spur rising interest rates, putting more pressure on businesses, and as a result leading to a high unemployment. According to the results of an opinion poll conducted by market research company Forsa, Merkel's ruling coalition has cemented a narrow lead just several weeks before an election. Christian Democrats and Christian Social Union are expected to win 40% on election day, September 22, unchanged from a poll made a week earlier. The opposition bloc continued to trail with just 1% less in total than the current governing lead, as 23% of respondents support Social Democrats, while Greens and Left Party have 13% and 8% respectively.
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