[4] In addition to Scholz, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had also been considered as a candidate for chancellor based on popularity polls.
[6] In September 2024, the leaders of the CDU and CSU agreed on Friedrich Merz as candidate for chancellor.
[12] Christian Lindner announced in November 2024 that he would again run as the Free Democratic Party (FDP) top candidate in the 2025 federal election.
[13] In June 2023, Alice Weidel announced that Alternative for Germany (AfD) would nominate a candidate for chancellor for the first time.
[17] For the BSW party, founded in January 2024, the eponymous founder Sahra Wagenknecht is expected to be the top candidate.