Opposition exerts pressure

New elections in Germany as early as January?

Chancellor Olaf Scholz can count on the help of opposition leader Friedrich Merz. However, the latter has set conditions ...(Bild: APA/AFP/RALF HIRSCHBERGER)

After the crumbling of the traffic light coalition in Berlin, the two remaining parties in the government, the SPD and the Greens, are trying to put the pieces together. The CDU could now help - at least temporarily. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and opposition leader Friedrich Merz will discuss the next steps on Thursday. However, Merz is pushing for new elections as soon as possible, while Scholz does not want to call a vote of confidence in parliament until January (!).

But by then, the CDU chairman would already like to have elections held. Apparently, the support of the now red-green minority government also depends on this. If Scholz clears the way for new elections in January, the CDU/CSU will examine which legislative projects it can support until then, said Merz. "We are of course prepared (...) to take responsibility for our country." Scholz explained that he wanted to "look for solutions" together with the CDU/CSU during a transitional phase, but insisted on January 15 as the date for the vote of confidence.

AfD celebrates "liberation for our country"
AfD leader Alice Weidel celebrated the collapse of the traffic light coalition as a "liberation for our country" and also called for an immediate vote of confidence in the Chancellor in the Bundestag. The country "urgently needs a fresh start", Weidel said on the short message platform X.

"The traffic light is history. No more time can be lost now," wrote CSU leader Markus Söder on X. Similar statements were also made by the new alliance Sarah Wagenknecht (BSW) and the Left Party.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz can count on the help of opposition leader Friedrich Merz. However, the latter has conditions ...(Bild: APA/AFP/RALF HIRSCHBERGER)

Lindner: "Need a government that can act"
On Thursday, the dismissed Finance Minister also called for an immediate vote of confidence in the government and thus the initiation of new elections. At the same time, Christian Lindner emphasized: "The Federal Chancellery must not become an election campaign headquarters. Our country needs a government that can not only act, but act." In his press statement, the FDP politician admitted that things had not been running smoothly in the three-party coalition for some time.

The fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner accused the SPD and the Greens of "playing a false game".(Bild: APA/AFP/Odd Andersen)

Lindner said after consultations with the Liberal Party committees that he would definitely stand again as the FDP's top candidate in the upcoming federal elections if the party wanted him to. He also stood up to Scholz once again: The break with the traffic light would not have been inevitable. It had been politically desired by others. He accused the former partners of playing the wrong game.

The German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was basically open to the possibility of new elections via a vote of confidence. However, the benchmark for him is that the country needs a stable government. In the event of a failed vote of confidence, he would have to decide whether to dissolve the Bundestag. "This is not the time for tactics and skirmishes. I expect everyone to take responsibility," he said.