German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier officially dismissed Chancellor Olaf Scholz and 14 ministers of his government. About this informs The time.
After the first session of the new Bundestag, Steinmeier thanked the members of the government for their work and handed them their resignation papers at Bellevue Palace. In particular, the president thanked Scholz for his reaction to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling it a “huge feat of strength.”
According to German law, the federal chancellor’s mandate ends with the convocation of the new Bundestag, which began its work on March 25. Despite his official resignation, Steinmeier asked Scholz and his ministers to continue in their duties until a new government is formed.
The provisional government retains all powers, however, as a rule, it refrains from making important decisions and participates only in necessary measures. For example, Scholz plans to attend the summit on Ukraine in Paris, which will be held on Thursday.
It is not yet known when the new government will be formed. If CDU leader Friedrich Merz and his team stick to the previous schedule, coalition talks could be completed by Easter.
At the same time, the CDU/CSU and SPD lowered expectations for a quick agreement, stressing the importance of agreeing on joint positions. Migration, economic and tax policies remain among the key contentious issues.
