German Chancellor Scholz loses confidence vote in parliament

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote in parliament on Monday, in a calculated political move to pave the way for early elections in February 2025.

In his address to parliament, Scholz defended his decision to end the coalition with the liberal FDP party, emphasizing that early elections would allow voters to determine the country's future direction.

“Bringing forward the federal election — that is my goal. In this election, the citizens can then set the political course for our country, that is what it is all about,” Scholz said. He criticized his former coalition partner FDP for impeding crucial decisions on economic challenges.

“Politics is not a game. To join a government, you need a certain moral maturity. Anyone who joins a government bears responsibility for the whole country. Responsibility that goes beyond their own party program and their own voters,” he said, adding that dissolving the coalition with FDP had become inevitable given the political impasse.

The Social Democrat chancellor lost the vote of confidence in parliament, with 394 votes against him and 207 in favor, along with 116 abstentions. His coalition partner, the Greens, strategically abstained to ensure the success of the maneuver to trigger early elections.

A confidence vote was required to initiate early elections under Germany's constitution, which permits such elections only in exceptional circumstances to maintain political stability.

According to the constitution, when a parliamentary majority withdraws confidence in the chancellor, the president may dissolve parliament at the chancellor's request, triggering new elections.

Scholz’s three-way coalition government between his Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) collapsed last month due to intense disputes concerning economic policy and government spending plans.

After the government's collapse, parliamentary leaders from the SPD, the Greens, and the main opposition Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) agreed to propose Feb. 23 as the date for early elections.