Germany to hold early elections

​A general view of the German lower house of parliament, in Berlin, Germany.
A general view of the German lower house of parliament, in Berlin, Germany.
REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Under a plan agreed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the opposition, Europe’s largest economy is now headed toward early elections in February.

The move comes after weeks of fraying ties among the so-called “traffic light” coalition, an unwieldy tie-up of Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats (red), the business-friendly Free Democrats (yellow), and the environment-oriented Greens (you guessed it).

The final straw, last week, was a spat over Germany’s budget. Scholz and the Greens wanted to relax Germany’s strict fiscal rules to create room to invest in infrastructure, defense, and Ukraine aid. The Free Democrats rejected that and proposed a more austerity-oriented budget of their own. Scholz, in turn, sacked Free Democrat Finance Minister Christian Lindner, which led to his party leaving the governing coalition altogether.

What happens now: Under the current deal, Scholz will hold a confidence vote in his government in mid-December, which – assuming he loses as expected – will pave the way for February elections, which the parties want to hold on Feb. 23, 2025.

At the moment, polls show the opposition Christian Democratic Union as the clear frontrunner with 32% support, twice that of Scholz’s Social Democrats. The far-right Alternative For Germany polls second, at 17%.

More from GZERO Media

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then-US President Donald Trumpshake hands before a meeting at Hyderabad House in Delhi, India, on Feb. 25, 2020.

Akash Anshuman/ABACAPRESS.COM via Reuters

The US election of Donald Trump may have troubling implications for Canada’s hostile relationship with India since the Canadians appear to have been relying on Washington to manage the situation.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks during a press conference in Toronto, Canada, on May 30, 2024.

REUTERS/Cole Burston

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday that Canada and the United States should sign a trade deal without Mexico that would put an end to the Three Amigos relationship that has governed trade between the three countries since 1994, when the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed.

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., speaks during Day 3 of the 2024 Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI, on July 17, 2024.

Anthony Behar/Sipa USA via Reuters

President Donald Trump’s credulity-straining Cabinet picks (Matt Gaetz and Tulsi Gabbard, for example) are getting all the attention, but anyone interested in the relationship between Canada and the United States will want to know that two of his lower-profile nominees are no fans of the Canadian prime minister.

Paige Fusco

Donald Trump has pledged to raise tariffs against China to 60% and to impose a blanket tariff of at least 10% on imports from every other country, friend or foe. So what does that mean for America's northern neighbor? Here’s a look at just how dependent Canada’s economy is on the US, and the key export categories.

Jess Frampton

When Donald Trump shocked the world by getting elected in 2016, Gerald Butts was the most important advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and played a key role in the tumultuous but ultimately successful negotiation of the USMCA. Stephen Maher sat down with Butts to discuss the prospects for Canada under Trump 2.0

Elon Musk has been busy – speaking at Trump rallies, launching rockets into space, transforming Twitter/X into something unrecognizable, and being named to help lead a new government department under President-elect Donald Trump.

Sculptures seen on the street before the 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting on Nov. 12, 2024 in Lima, Peru.
Sheng Jiapeng/China News Service/VCG via Reuters

With outgoing President Joe Biden meeting up with Chinese President Xi Jinping at APEC, GZERO reached out to Eurasia Group's Gabriela Vasquez Madueno for her take on what to watch at the event.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at a news conference in Jerusalem, in January 2023.
REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool

Donald Trump’s election victory is already emboldening Israeli far-right ministers who want to annex settlements in the occupied West Bank.