Germany is heading for snap elections on February 23, 2025, after Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote in parliament on Monday.
The vote followed the collapse of Scholz’s fragile coalition government, which had been struggling with internal disagreements for months.
In the 733-seat Bundestag, Scholz secured only 207 votes in support, while 394 lawmakers voted against him and 116 abstained, falling significantly short of the 367 votes needed to retain his position.
The coalition breakdown began in November when Scholz dismissed Finance Minister Christian Lindner. Lindner’s pro-business Free Democrats subsequently exited the coalition, leaving Scholz’s centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens without a parliamentary majority.
Scholz’s government will remain in a caretaker capacity until a new parliament is elected and a coalition formed.
Amid the turmoil, Scholz framed the upcoming elections as a chance for voters to choose between competing economic visions.
“Shortsightedness might save money in the short term, but the mortgage on our future is unaffordable,” Scholz told lawmakers, defending his approach to investment and growth.
However, Friedrich Merz, leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and a strong contender for the chancellorship, criticised Scholz’s fiscal policies, saying, “Your spending plans will burden future generations.”
Before the elections, Scholz aims to pass key measures, including €11 billion in tax cuts and an increase in child benefits, as he continues to pitch his vision of investment-led growth over austerity.
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