German parliament does not trust Chancellor Scholz...Early general election next February

Germany will hold an early general election in February next year after the German Federal Parliament confirmed no confidence in Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

On the 16th local time, the German parliament voted down the confidence proposal proposed by Chancellor Scholz with 207 votes in favor, 394 against and 116 abstentions.

Scholz plans to formally call on President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to dissolve parliament and hold an early general election, pushing the country's parliamentary elections, which had been scheduled for September next year, to Feb. 23.

Scholz has led a "signal-light" coalition of centre-left Social Democrats, Greens and right-wing Liberal Democrats since the September 2021 general election.

The early general election comes after Finance Minister Christian Lindner, a Liberal Democrat who was at odds with the mainstream in the coalition over economic policy, was fired and the Lib Dems left the coalition.

The Social Democrats and the main opposition Christian Democrats and Christian Socialists agreed on Feb. 23 next year as a general election day after Scholz said he would hold an early general election after a confidence vote last month.

Scholz appeared in parliament ahead of the vote and held Lindner responsible for the collapse of the coalition, saying the Lib Dem's sabotage had prevented it from dragging the coalition further.