Euronews reported that the leaders of the three-party coalition in Germany - the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Freedom Party (FDP) and the Green Party - gathered at the Chancellor's Office in Berlin on the evening of November 6.
After the failed talks, SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired FDP leader Christian Lindner as finance minister.
In response, FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Durr announced that the Freedom Party would withdraw all of its ministers from Chancellor Scholz's government, officially ending the three-party coalition.
The Greens expressed regret over the development but said they wanted to remain part of a minority government, stressing the need for the EU – and Germany in particular – to demonstrate its capacity to act after Donald Trump wins the 2024 US presidential election.
"This seems wrong and not right tonight, when Germany must demonstrate solidarity and the ability to act in Europe," Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in a joint press statement with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on the evening of November 6.
"This is not a good day for Germany and it is not a good day for Europe," Foreign Minister Baerbock added.
Finance Minister Christian Lindner was sacked after he reportedly proposed early elections as the leaders of the three coalition parties again failed to find common ground on how to tackle a multi-billion euro deficit in next year's budget.
“Minister Lindner regularly blocks legislation in an inappropriate manner,” Chancellor Scholz said, accusing Lindner of refusing to relax spending rules, including those that would allow for more aid to Ukraine.
In turn, Minister Lindner accused the Chancellor of ignoring the real “economic concerns” of the German people. “Olaf Scholz has long failed to recognise the need for a new economic awakening in our country,” said Lindner.
Chancellor Scholz said he now wanted to approach opposition leader Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democrats to give him “the opportunity” to work with his government, adding that given the US election, this was “perhaps more urgent than ever”.
Meanwhile, the right-wing opposition party Alternative for Germany (AfD) welcomed the collapse of the ruling coalition.
“After months of stalemate, we now need a fundamentally new political start to get the economy and the country out of the severe crisis caused by the ideological policies of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP,” AfD parliamentary leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla said in a statement on the social network X.
Chancellor Scholz announced that the German parliament (Bundestag) will hold a confidence vote on January 15, 2025. According to the German constitution, if the chancellor fails to secure enough support, he can formally ask the president to dissolve the 733-seat lower house of parliament and call new elections within 60 days. This could push Germany's parliamentary elections from next fall to March 2025.
