Afghanistan is slowly becoming an election issue in Germany. When Chancellor Angela Merkel and her challenger, the current Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, faced each other on Sunday for their only TV debate ahead of the upcoming general elections, the presence of German troops in Afghanistan was the only foreign policy topic discussed. Steinmeier has said he wants conditions for a withdrawal to be in place by 2013.
Afghanistan was the only foreign policy issue in Sunday's televised debate between Merkel and Steinmeier, who both hope to become Germany's next chancellorImage: picture-alliance/ dpa
