In Germany's election hashtag debate, activists win battle for 'likes'

FILE PHOTO: Chairwoman of Buendnis 90/Die Gruenen Annalena Baerbock, Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Armin Laschet and German Finance Minister and Social Democratic Party candidate Olaf Scholz are pictured before a televised debate of the candidates to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor in Berlin, Germany, September 12, 2021. Michael Kappeler/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

(Reuters) - As the main contenders in the race to succeed Angela Merkel as Germany's next chancellor faced off in a televised debate on Sunday night, their political parties deployed social media teams in a parallel battle online.

None of them, though, could match the impact of cyber-savvy activists holding them to account.