German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a no-confidence vote on December 16 and, if he loses, would have to ask German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to dissolve parliament, a move that could trigger early elections. New elections must be held within 60 days of the dissolution.
Olaf Scholz, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), has reached an agreement with opposition parties to hold early federal elections on February 23, 2025. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he would act accordingly after the vote on December 16 and he also agreed with the parties in parliament that February 23, 2025 would be the date for the early election.
Last month, Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner after disagreements over the country's weak economy, leading to the collapse of Germany's ruling coalition, which lost its majority in parliament to the Social Democrats and the Greens. Since the government's collapse, much of the legislative process has been halted. Chancellor Scholz initially announced plans to hold a secret ballot on January 15, 2025. However, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) immediately pressed for the vote to be held earlier.
According to Reuters, if the no-confidence vote is successful as expected, Chancellor Scholz and his ministers will continue to hold power until a new government is formed, which could take several months if coalition talks drag on.
Chancellor Scholz outlined a list of measures that could be passed with opposition support at that stage, including 11 billion euros ($11.55 billion) in tax cuts and increased child benefits - something that had already been agreed by former coalition partners.
CNN reported that opinion polls in September showed that German public support for Chancellor Scholz's government was declining, and that Scholz was one of the least popular chancellors ever. According to polls, when the early election was held, former Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU party was on track to win. The Politpro poll showed that the CDU currently leads with 31% of the vote, followed by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party with 18%, the SPD with 16% and the Green Party with 12%.
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is currently led by Friedrich Merz. The CDU, along with the Christian Social Union (CSU), is Germany's most influential post-war party. Friedrich Merz's campaign focused on measures to boost Europe's largest economy, including job incentives and tax cuts.
The German economy will continue to shrink this year, according to the latest forecast from the European Commission.
