With just under six weeks to go until the European elections, the election campaign is picking up speed. The SPD, FDP, CSU, Left Party and AfD hosted party conferences and kick-off events at the weekend. FDP lead candidate Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann criticized Commission President Ursula von der Leyen – the EPP candidate is hiding and „not facing up to the citizens.“ SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz and CSU leader Markus Söder targeted the AfD, with Söder speaking of a party „with a nasty face.“