Germany will most likely go to early parliamentary elections on February 23, 2025. According to ARD, this was agreed upon between the two largest parties in the Bundestag - the ruling German Social Democratic Party of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Christian Democrats from the CDU/CSU. The other two parties in the collapsing ruling coalition in Germany - the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens - have agreed to the proposal, German media also report.
The President of the Federal Republic, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, must set the date, and he is expected to comply with the decision of the main political parties.
The first step is the vote of confidence
The date on which the deputies in the Bundestag will vote on a vote of confidence in the government of Olaf Scholz remains to be clarified. It is expected that this vote will not pass, thus starting the procedure for holding new elections. The Christian Democrats called on the Chancellor to request a vote of confidence as early as this Wednesday - November 13. However, Scholz refused. The vote of confidence is expected to be held on December 16, ARD reports.
Last week, Olaf Scholz dismissed his finance minister and FDP leader Christian Lindner, effectively ending the so-called "traffic light" coalition. Two of the liberal ministers followed Lindner and resigned, while Transport Minister Volker Wissing chose to remain in office.
The ruling party wants to pass important laws
The main reason for the collapse of the coalition was the disagreement over economic policies and the plan for how Germany would get out of the current crisis. Scholz talked about elections in March. He insisted that several important laws related to pensions, migration reform and economic incentives be passed by the end of the year. The largest opposition party, the CDU/CSU, and its leader Friedrich Merz have blasted Scholz's plans and said that policy talks are possible after the vote of confidence is passed. The chancellor himself has responded that he is willing to hold the elections earlier if the MPs so insist.
Green Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck is insisting that important decisions on the Bundeswehr budget and the protection of the Federal Constitutional Court be taken within the current parliament, as it is unclear whether the next one will have the necessary 2/3 majority. Habeck doubts the existence of a majority from the "democratic center" given the high results of the "Alternative for Germany" and the "Sarah Wagenknecht Union", which sociologists predict for the next elections.
Alexander Detev Editor