( CNN ) -- Voters in Germany vote Sunday for the first time since the eurozone crisis left the single currency -- and much of the continent -- teetering on the brink of chaos . While the campaign has n't exactly set the world on fire -- voter apathy could prove a major issue -- what happens in ballot boxes across the nation has the potential to change the future of the euro , and of Europe . Polls opened at 8 a.m. ( 2 a.m . ET ) and will close at 6 p.m. ( 12 p.m . ET ) . Early results are expected shortly afterward -- but we will have to wait for a few days for final results . Who 's in the running ? Angela Merkel , the country 's current chancellor , is campaigning for a third term in office . Were she to win , she would be on course to overtake Margaret Thatcher as Europe 's longest-serving female political leader . Merkel , a physicist-turned-politician from the former East Germany , came to power in 2005 as leader of the Christian Democrats ( CDU ) , a center-right conservative party . Initially she served as Chancellor in a `` grand coalition '' of politicians from both sides of the political spectrum ; in 2009 she won re-election at the head of a conservative coalition with the Free Democrats . Read more : Angela Merkel : Europe 's Mrs. Nein . Her steady stewardship of the country through the eurozone crisis -- and her no-nonsense attitude to struggling members of the currency union -- has earned her both commendations and criticism abroad . And while she does have detractors at home , she remains Germany 's most popular politician by a long way -- according to the latest Transatlantic Trends report by the German Marshall Fund of the United States , two thirds of Germans approve of her handling of the eurozone crisis . Who is she up against ? Her major opponent is Social Democrat Peer Steinbrueck . Steinbrueck served as finance minister in Merkel 's first government , a grand coalition between the CDU and the left-leaning SPD , from 2005 to 2009 , overseeing the country 's bank rescue plan . Gaffe-prone Steinbrueck caused the biggest controversy of the 2013 campaign when a photograph of him gesturing with his middle finger graced the cover of a popular magazine . Merkel 's current coalition partners , the conservative Free Democrats ( FDP ) , are struggling to connect with voters -- polls suggest they may even fall below the 5 % minimum vote threshold and lose their place in Germany 's parliament , the Bundestag . Read more : Peer Steinbrueck stirring up German politics . The other parties seeking electors ' votes include The Left ( Die Linke ) , headed by the charismatic Gregor Gysi and tipped to do well in the states of the former East Germany , and the Greens , who are ranking third in the latest opinion poll . Are there any newcomers on the scene ? Sunday will mark the national election debut of two new parties looking to shake up the German political scene : the Pirates Party and the Alternative for Germany ( AfD ) . All eyes will be on the ballot boxes to see whether they can secure the votes they need to win seats in the Bundestag . The AfD , founded in April 2013 , is made up of so-called `` euroskeptics , '' opposed to the single European currency and to Germany 's role in the bailouts of several struggling eurozone nations , which they see as a waste of money the country can ill afford . Seen by many as a `` party of professors '' the AfD currently has between 2 % and 4 % support , just short of the 5 % it would require to take up seats in parliament . However , political commentators have warned it could damage Merkel 's re-election hopes by splitting the conservative vote . Read more : Could euroskeptics spoil Merkel 's party ? The Pirates Party , inspired by a similar internet freedom movement in Sweden , was the surprise success story in last year 's regional elections in Berlin , securing almost 9 % of the vote ; however , polls suggest the party is unlikely to repeat its success in the capital on a federal level . With up to a third of German voters `` undecided '' there are plenty of ballots still up for grabs . What are the big issues ? There 's just one , and to misquote Bill Clinton 's campaign strategists : It 's the economy , Dummkopf . Compared to many of its neighbours , Germany as a whole has continued to thrive throughout the eurozone crisis : it is the biggest economy in Europe , with a healthy manufacturing industry and the continent 's second lowest unemployment rate . However , not all of Germany 's citizens are feeling the benefit : large numbers of people are reliant on low-paid `` mini-jobs '' which leave them struggling to make ends meet . The Social Democrats are calling for a national minimum wage to combat the problem of the `` working poor . '' The SPD has also called for tax increases -- a proposal rejected by Merkel . Read more : Germany playing beggar-my-neighbor with eurozone ? How does voting work in Germany ? Germans get two votes , one for a local candidate , and one for a party . The Bundestag 's 622 seats are divided between the two , with 299 going to local candidates ( under a first-past-the-post system ) , and the remainder allotted to politicians from party lists , on a proportional representation basis . To enter parliament , each party must secure a minimum of 5 % of the vote to win seats in parliament . Votes given to parties that do not meet this threshold are redistributed amongst those who do . German politics is all about forging coalitions and alliances ; no single party has governed the nation alone since reunification . Who will win ? Until recently , the election looked like a slam-dunk for the popular Merkel and her allies . However , the Free Democrats ' dip in the polls puts the current coalition at risk . Should the FDP lose its place in the Bundestag -- a possibility if the fledgling AfD splinters the conservative vote -- Merkel would have to cement fresh alliances in order to remain chancellor . Read more : Is Merkel the most powerful female politician ? The CDU has ruled out linking up with the AfD -- despite their mutual conservatism , the AfD 's resolutely anti-euro stance contradicts the Christian Democrats ' policies . Instead Merkel could return to the `` grand coalition '' days of 2005-2009 , working with the Social Democrats -- and Steinbrueck -- once more . Alternatively , should they perform well at the polls , the Social Democrats could seek to oust Merkel by forming a left-wing coalition with the Greens and The Left . Why should those outside Germany care ? Germany is Europe 's largest economy and its government has the leading voice in governing the Eurozone . If German voters decide to replace conservative Merkel with left-leaning Steinbrueck , the whole currency union could be affected . Steinbrueck is skeptical of Merkel 's austerity-focused policies and has said he would do more to encourage growth and investment . Although they disagree on economic policies , Steinbrueck has made it very clear that should he win the election , he would follow in Merkel 's footsteps by demanding all eurozone countries stick to `` sound fiscal discipline . '' Read more : Ja , wir koennen ! Is German campaign too American ?
German voters will elect a new government Sunday . Angela Merkel , of conservative Christian Democrats , seeking third term as chancellor . Peer Steinbrueck , of center-left Social Democrats , looking to challenger her . Score: 6