Germany is headed for snap elections on February 23, the main parties have agreed, aiming to form a stable government after Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition collapsed last week.
The country's two biggest parties agreed on the early timetable, which will see centre-left leader Scholz seek a vote of confidence on December 16, said Rolf Muetzenich, the parliamentary leader of Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD).
This would pave the way for the February vote in a compromise hammered out with the conservative opposition Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian allies CSU.
The agreement seeks to quickly restore political stability at a time when Europe's biggest economy is set to shrink for a second year in a row and amid heightened geopolitical volatility, with wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The election date would mean Germany will be ruled by a lame-duck chancellor and stuck in the middle of its campaign period when Donald Trump is inaugurated as US president on January 20.
Embattled Scholz, who wants to run again despite poor poll ratings, initially suggested an election in late March but came under heavy pressure from all other parties to speed up the process.
The CDU is riding high in the polls and its leader Friedrich Merz had pushed strongly for an election as early as possible — a demand backed by two-thirds of voters, according to a recent survey.
"We don't have unlimited time to elect a new government in Germany, regardless of who leads it... because the world around us is not waiting," Merz said on Tuesday.
"It's not as if everyone is holding their breath and watching Germany in fascination, as decisions are taken in Europe, Asia and the United States.
"The world expects a Germany that is capable of taking action."
Winter campaign
The February 23 date would force politicians to run their campaigns in the dark and cold of winter, when voters will be less enthusiastic to flock to outdoor events than during the usual summer campaign seasons.
Scholz is expected to lose the confidence vote in the lower house of parliament, after which President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will have 21 days to dissolve the Bundestag.
Elections have to be held within 60 days of the dissolution.
Scholz took office in late 2021, taking over from the CDU's Angela Merkel, in a three-way coalition with the left-leaning Greens and the liberal and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP).
But mounting differences over economic and fiscal policy came to a head last week when Scholz fired the rebellious FDP finance minister Christian Linder, prompting the small party to leave the government.
Since then, Scholz's SPD and the Greens have carried on in a minority government that would need opposition support to pass any laws — something the CDU/CSU had rejected without clarity on an election date.
Source: TRT World
BDST: 1112 HRS, NOV 13, 2024
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