A snap election will be held in Germany on February 23, 2024, following the collapse of the governing coalition due to economic challenges and disagreements over aid to Ukraine.
The date was reportedly 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 (CDU).
The decision to hold an early election follows the breakup of the three-party governing coalition, which included the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP). Last week, Scholz dismissed Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who is also the FDP leader. This action prompted Lindner’s party to formally withdraw from the coalition, leaving Scholz with a minority government.
Initially, German media reported that the leaders of the three coalition parties had failed to reach a consensus on how to address the multi-billion-euro deficit in next year’s budget. The three partners had been at odds over the nation’s economic and financial policy in recent months.
Scholz then acknowledged that aid to Ukraine had become a major point of contention in the coalition talks. According to the chancellor, he proposed a four-point plan that included “increasing our support for Ukraine” among other things, which Lindner rejected.
Following these developments, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier declared his readiness to call an early election, stating that the country needed “a stable majority and a government that is capable of acting.” To trigger the snap election, Scholz will need to call a vote of confidence for his government and lose it.
The chancellor initially aimed to hold the vote in mid-January, setting the stage for an election in late March. The CDU, however, reportedly advocated for a snap poll as early as January 19. The two sides eventually reached an agreement, with Scholz scheduling the vote of confidence for December 16, according to DPA.
If the government loses the vote, Steinmeier will have 21 days to dissolve parliament. A 60-day deadline is then set for the new election to take place. According to the German news agency, February 23 falls within this deadline.
The date roughly coincides with the start of major hostilities between Moscow and Kiev, which began on February 24, 2022, when Russia launched its military operation. It remains unclear whether this date played any role in the German parties’ decision-making process.