The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has lost a confidence vote in the parliament
The move paves the way for snap elections, which are now planned for late February.
Scholz’s governing coalition collapsed after one of his two junior partners, the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), quit the Social Democrat led government last month. The two parties had long sparred over economic policy, prompting Scholz to fire FDP leader and finance minister Christian Lindner. It was the final straw for the coalition after months of internal squabbling.
After Scholz lost his majority in parliament, the opposition conservatives – who currently lead the opinion polls – pressured the Chancellor to speed up his plan to call a confidence vote.
It is only the fifth of its kind in the country’s postwar history.
00:00 Germany’s Scholz loses confidence vote
03:45 Michaela Küfner, DW Chief Political Editor
12:34 Matthew Karnitschnig, Chief Europe Correspondent, POLITICO
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