BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany will hold a snap national election on Feb. 23 following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-way coalition. Here are the main parties contending, their poll standings,

BERLIN — The Left party is experiencing an unexpected momentum boost less than two weeks before Germany’s national election. Nearly 23,500 people have joined the far-left party since the start of the year, according to figures first reported by Der Spiegel, pushing its total to a record 81,200 — the highest since 2009.

Germany’s three strongest parties lost ground slightly in a new poll ahead of the nation’s Feb. 23 snap election, while the far-left Linke cracked the 5% threshold which opens the doors to potentially enter the Bundestag.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday urged voters to vote for the stability of the democratic center in the early elections on February 23 and to avoid a majority between conservatives and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

With rising poll numbers and renewed purpose, the socialist Left Party is increasingly confident of making it back into the Bundestag. It's a turnaround that few predicted.Last year was a political nightmare for the Left Party: In January,