Political Heavyweights Eye One-Round Bout

The opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has until September 4 to prime chancellor candidate Angela Merkel for a one-off television duel with her more media-savvy opponent Gerhard Schröder. There will be no chance for Merkel to take revenge if her debate with the incumbent chancellor goes badly as there will be just one live debate between the two candidates in the run- up to the federal election, likely to be held on September 18.

The decision to limit the heavyweight clash to the single bout was announced by Schröder's Social Democrats on Wednesday after much deliberation. The 90-minute debate will go out live on Sept. 4 at 20:30 CET and will be broadcast on German channels ARD, ZDF, RTL and Sat.1 / Pro7 simultaneously.

Media savvy Schröder will have to go for the kill

The decision is likely to favor and please Schröder despite the fact he originally demanded two duels. The one-off will be a winner-takes-all clash which the chancellor will no doubt use to show off his slick debating skills in a bid to boost his poll ratings. Schröder staged a comeback to win the 2002 election after a television duel in which he outshone his rival that year, the conservative Edmund Stoiber.

However, surveys in 2002 showed that Stoiber was the narrow winner of their first debate but was soundly beaten by the chancellor in a second duel two weeks before the actual vote, in which he aggressively defended his decision not to send German troops to Iraq. Viewers said Schröder came across as the more competent, credible and likeable candidate.

Awkward Angie gets one chance

But Angela Merkel is a different political animal from Edmund Stoiber. The single bout debate will have Merkel's advisors nervously thumbing the Yellow Pages for a media image consultant who can be quickly hired to whip the often awkward CDU leader into shape for her face-off with the affable TV personality that is Schröder.

Merkel, a former scientist, has revamped her dowdy image of late but often looks uncomfortable in front of the camera and nervous at times when speaking.

Schröder and his people have obviously picked up on her weaknesses. Recently, the chancellor challenged his rival to agree looser ground rules for the potentially crucial television debate. He is in favor of adding more cut-and-thrust by scrapping some of the restrictions on speaking time that governed his 2002 encounters with Stoiber, a government spokesman said.

"More flexibility would be desirable," the spokesman told a regular government news briefing last week. "It often came across to the viewer as a tight corset," he added of the 2002 debates, in which the candidates had to limit replies to 90, 60 or 30 seconds according to strict rules.

Merkel could channel everything into one big win

Despite the chancellor's obviously relaxed attitude to being on television, it has been Merkel's camp which has been pushing for the one-off show. While it may be that Merkel has just one chance to get it right, it also means that she also has only one chance to get it wrong. With the right preparation, Merkel could put her all into fighting her corner during the single debate.

This could also mean that the threat of a second bout -- which could provide Schröder with a chance to cement a televised drubbing if he were to come out on top in the first -- would be removed leaving the CDU chief more relaxed.

Embattled Schröder knows winner takes all

The debate is beginning to look ever more important with Schröder's center-left Social Democrats floundering in a recent poll with just 27 percent of the vote, broadly unchanged and 17 points behind Merkel's CDU. The chancellor may be tempted to unleash his whole media arsenal in the one-off debate, one which Merkel will have to counter to remain in the lead in the polls. It could make potentially essential viewing.

The 61-year-old leader is the first incumbent German chancellor to meet his opponents in head-on TV debates. Former Chancellor Helmut Kohl always refused in the belief that the encounters would merely raise the profile of his challenger.