German election scheduled on third anniversary of Ukraine conflict escalation – media
Germany is set to conduct early parliamentary elections in late February following the dissolution of its governing coalition, according to reports from DPA and Reuters. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The upcoming election for a new German parliament is scheduled for February 23 next year, as reported by various media outlets including the DPA news agency, citing official sources. This date was agreed upon by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, their remaining coalition partners, the Greens, and the largest opposition party, the conservative Christian Democratic Union.
This decision comes in the wake of the dissolution of the three-party governing coalition, which included the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP). Recently, Scholz dismissed Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who also leads the FDP. This move led Lindner's party to formally withdraw from the coalition, leaving Scholz at the helm of a minority government.
Reports from the German media indicate that the leaders of the three coalition parties were unable to reach an agreement on how to address the multi-billion-euro deficit in next year’s budget, with significant disagreements over economic and financial policy in recent months.
Scholz later acknowledged that assistance to Ukraine had emerged as a significant issue in the coalition discussions. He proposed a four-point plan that involved “increasing our support for Ukraine,” among other initiatives, which Lindner rejected.
In response to the political developments, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed his readiness to call for an early election, emphasizing the need for “a stable majority and a government that is capable of acting.” For the snap election to proceed, Scholz must initiate a vote of confidence for his government and fail.
Initially, the chancellor aimed to conduct this vote in mid-January, paving the way for an election in late March, while the CDU advocated for a snap election as soon as January 19. Ultimately, an agreement was reached, and Scholz proposed the vote of confidence for December 16, as reported by DPA.
Should the government not succeed in the vote, Steinmeier will have a 21-day period to dissolve parliament, followed by a 60-day window for the new election to occur. February 23 aligns with this timeline, as noted by the German news agency.
This election date roughly coincides with the onset of major hostilities between Moscow and Kiev, which began on February 24, 2022, when Russia commenced its military operation. It remains uncertain whether this timing influenced the decision-making processes of the German political parties.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
This decision comes in the wake of the dissolution of the three-party governing coalition, which included the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP). Recently, Scholz dismissed Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who also leads the FDP. This move led Lindner's party to formally withdraw from the coalition, leaving Scholz at the helm of a minority government.
Reports from the German media indicate that the leaders of the three coalition parties were unable to reach an agreement on how to address the multi-billion-euro deficit in next year’s budget, with significant disagreements over economic and financial policy in recent months.
Scholz later acknowledged that assistance to Ukraine had emerged as a significant issue in the coalition discussions. He proposed a four-point plan that involved “increasing our support for Ukraine,” among other initiatives, which Lindner rejected.
In response to the political developments, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed his readiness to call for an early election, emphasizing the need for “a stable majority and a government that is capable of acting.” For the snap election to proceed, Scholz must initiate a vote of confidence for his government and fail.
Initially, the chancellor aimed to conduct this vote in mid-January, paving the way for an election in late March, while the CDU advocated for a snap election as soon as January 19. Ultimately, an agreement was reached, and Scholz proposed the vote of confidence for December 16, as reported by DPA.
Should the government not succeed in the vote, Steinmeier will have a 21-day period to dissolve parliament, followed by a 60-day window for the new election to occur. February 23 aligns with this timeline, as noted by the German news agency.
This election date roughly coincides with the onset of major hostilities between Moscow and Kiev, which began on February 24, 2022, when Russia commenced its military operation. It remains uncertain whether this timing influenced the decision-making processes of the German political parties.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
