Voters are heading to the polls in Germany’s general election.

They are electing a new parliament after a campaign focused on the state of Europe’s biggest economy and calls to restrict migration.

The vote also comes at a time of fragile relations between Europe and the US over Ukraine’s future in its war with Russia.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote in parliament last December, paving the way for an early election.

Mr Scholz, leader of Germany’s centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), had governed as the head of a fractious three-party coalition until it collapsed the previous month when he sacked his finance minister.

He had weeks of disputes with Christian Lindner over how to kickstart Germany’s stagnant economy.

Mr Lindner and his colleagues in the Free Democrats Party (FDP) promptly quit the coalition, leaving the SPD and their remaining partner, the Greens, without a majority in parliament.

Germany’s constitution does not allow the Bundestag to dissolve itself, so a confidence vote was needed to set in motion the early election, which is being held seven months ahead of schedule.

Opposition leader Friedrich Merz, of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, has vowed to revive the stagnant economy and defend Europe’s interests in the face of a confrontational White House.

The far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany is looking to make gains – but has no other party willing to go into government with it.

Pope Francis had a “tranquil” night and rested in hospital, the Vatican has said.

Unlike previous updates since the Pope was admitted to hospital on 14 February, the Vatican didn’t say whether he had gotten up or had breakfast.

The 88-year-old has been in hospital for more than a week as he receives treatment for double pneumonia and chronic bronchitis.

On Saturday night, the Vatican said the Pope was in a critical condition after a “prolonged respiratory crisis” that required a high-flow of oxygen.

He also had blood transfusions after tests revealed thrombocytopenia, which is associated with anaemia.

Doctors said the prognosis was “reserved”.

In an update earlier on Saturday morning, the Vatican said he will not lead Sunday prayers for the second week running, adding: “The Pope rested well.”

Francis, who has been leading the Catholic Church since 2013, is likely to prepare a written homily for someone else to read at Sunday’s Angelus.

Millions of people around the world have been concerned about the Pope’s increasingly frail health – and his condition has given rise to speculation over a possible resignation, which the Vatican has not commented on.

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Doctors on Friday said he was “not out of danger” and was expected to remain at Rome’s Gemelli hospital for at least another week.

Sergio Alfieri, the chief of the pontiff’s medical team, said: “Is he out of danger? No. But if the question is ‘is he in danger of death’, the answer is ‘no’.”

Doctors warned that while he did not have sepsis – where germs enter the bloodstream – there was always a risk the infection could spread in his body, and they said that was the biggest concern.

Sepsis is a complication of an infection that can lead to organ failure and death.

Pope Francis has a history of respiratory illness, having lost part of one of his lungs to pleurisy as a young man.

He had an acute case of pneumonia in 2023.

Pope Francis is in a critical condition after a “prolonged respiratory crisis” that required a high-flow of oxygen and is “suffering more than yesterday”, the Vatican has said.

The 88-year-old has been in hospital for more than a week being treated for double pneumonia and chronic bronchitis.

In an update on Saturday evening, the Vatican said “the Holy Father’s condition continues to be critical”, adding that this morning he “presented with a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis” which required the application of high-flow oxygen.

He also had blood transfusions after tests revealed thrombocytopenia, which is associated with anaemia.

“The Holy Father continues to be vigilant and spent the day in an armchair even though he was suffering more than yesterday. At the moment the prognosis is reserved,” the Vatican’s statement said.

In an update earlier on Saturday morning – the shortest since Francis was admitted to hospital on 14 February – the Vatican said he will not lead Sunday prayers for the second week running, adding: “The Pope rested well.”

Francis is likely to prepare a written homily for someone else to read at Sunday’s Angelus.

Millions of people around the world have been concerned about the Pope’s increasingly frail health – and his condition has given rise to speculation over a possible resignation, which the Vatican has not commented on.

Doctors on Friday said he was “not out of danger” and was expected to remain at Rome’s Gemelli hospital for at least another week.

Sergio Alfieri, the chief of the pontiff’s medical team, said: “Is he out of danger? No. But if the question is ‘is he in danger of death’, the answer is ‘no’.”

He said Francis was affected by seasonal flu before being taken to hospital and that, “due to his challenging duties”, he had suffered fatigue.

He is also fighting a multipronged infection of bacteria and viruses in the respiratory tract.

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The doctors warned that while he did not have sepsis – where germs enter the bloodstream – there was always a risk the infection could spread in his body, and they said that was the biggest concern.

Sepsis is a complication of an infection that can lead to organ failure and death.

Pope Francis has a history of respiratory illness, having lost part of one of his lungs to pleurisy as a young man. He had an acute case of pneumonia in 2023.