German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier dissolved parliament at the request of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and called early elections to the Bundestag. About this informs DW.
Steinmeier emphasized that in the current difficult conditions, the country needs an efficient government and a stable majority in the parliament. The decision to dissolve the Bundestag was made after Scholz asked the parliament for a vote of confidence on December 16.
This was the result of the collapse of the “traffic light coalition” – the alliance of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (VDP), which lasted for about three years and ceased its activities in November 2024.
The vote of confidence turned out to be unsuccessful for the chancellor: 207 deputies voted for him, 394 against, and another 116 abstained. Scholz fell short of the required majority of 367 votes, as predicted.
After that, Scholz asked the president to dissolve the Bundestag on the basis of Article 68 of the Basic Law. According to this article, the president has the right to dissolve the parliament within 21 days after losing a vote of confidence. New elections must be held within 60 days of the dissolution.
