Merkel vs Schulz: the return of the left-right divide or just another boring German election campaign?

The German social democrats (SPD) have experienced rising support in opinion polls following the selection of Martin Schulz, the former President of the European Parliament, as the party’s candidate for chancellor at the upcoming federal elections in September. Julian Göpffarth asks whether the re-emergence of the SPD will lead to a more polarised contest, with a clear choice between the left and the right, or whether the recent pattern of convergence between the SPD and Angela Merkel’s CDU will ultimately continue once the campaign is fully underway.