Germany faces political shake-up: Confidence vote set for Dec. 16
A political crisis continues in Germany. On December 16, the Bundestag will vote on a confidence motion for Olaf Scholz's government.
9:43 AM EST, November 13, 2024
On Wednesday, the German Chancellor announced that he would officially request the Bundestag to vote on his government’s confidence motion on December 11. However, it is already known that the vote will take place on December 16.
During his speech in the Bundestag, Scholz referenced Finance Minister Christian Lindner's dismissal, which led to the collapse of the government coalition.
"This decision was right and inevitable," he stated.
Collapse of Scholz’s government coalition
The German government coalition collapsed last week. Olaf Scholz said that a vote of confidence for his government would pave the way for early parliamentary elections.
If Scholz’s government does not receive a vote of confidence, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier may dissolve the Bundestag and call for new elections within 21 days. The head of state has already declared his readiness to take these actions. Elections must be held within 60 days of dissolving the parliament. The president sets the voting day.
According to the German Basic Law, the Chancellor submits a motion of confidence for the government 48 hours before the planned voting date.
Many factors will have to be considered when setting the election date. Preparations for early voting will likely coincide with various school holiday dates or the carnival period. Additionally, regional elections are scheduled in Hamburg on March 2, which are very important not only for the SPD, which is strong in that area but also for Scholz himself, a former mayor of the city. A good result would give the Social Democrats a boost in their campaign for the Bundestag elections.
