Amid political crisis, Germany will hold early elections in February

() – Germany will hold early elections on February 23 after a deal was reached between parties in the country’s fractured parliament on Tuesday.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) said the main parties had agreed on the date of early elections. The official announcement was made by Rolf Mützenich, SPD group leader, in Berlin.

Mützenich said Scholz will officially announce a vote of confidence in the government on December 11, followed by a vote five days later. If the government fails to win parliamentary support, a widely expected result, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier would confirm a date for the elections.

Last week, Germany’s governing coalition collapsed over disagreements over the country’s weak economy. Then, Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired his Finance Minister, who withdrew his party from the coalition, leaving the government in a minority, only supported by an alliance between the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the Green Party.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier needs to give the go-ahead for the election date, but reports suggest this is a formality. Steinmeier said at an unrelated event in Berlin on Tuesday that “our country needs a government capable of acting.”

“That’s why we shouldn’t waste time now. We must find answers to the question of how we can make our state more capable of acting,” Steinmeier added.

Clarity on a date for the next election – originally due to be held in September 2025 – comes just a week after Scholz’s governing coalition collapsed after he fired his finance minister, Christian Lindner, over a major disagreement. on Germany’s economic future.

Scholz initially announced that he planned to hold a confidence vote on January 15, but came under immediate pressure from Germany’s opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party to call it earlier.

Friedrich Merz, CDU leader, said last week: “There is absolutely no reason to wait until January” to call the confidence vote.

Scholz’s position on the date appeared to change over the weekend. On Friday, he tweeted that he would like to “facilitate new elections as soon as possible.” Then, on Sunday night, he told German television that he would be willing to call the confidence vote before Christmas.

Scholz currently leads a minority government with the Greens. His government has lost popularity in Germany, with Scholz also one of the least popular chancellors in history, according to a September opinion poll.