New elections in Germany: Steinmeier dissolves the Bundestag!

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has dissolved the Bundestag and scheduled new elections for February 23, 2025. This happened at the request of Chancellor Olaf Scholz after the traffic light coalition, consisting of the SPD, Greens and FDP, broke up. Scholz asked the vote of confidence on December 16th, but he was unable to win it successfully. Steinmeier then held talks with various factions, but was unable to find a sustainable majority.

Steinmeier underlined the need for political stability and effective governments now that the current government no longer has a majority. “The next federal government faces major challenges,” he warned, pointing to issues such as economic uncertainty, wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, immigration and climate change. The dissolution of parliament is the fourth in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany and has always affected an SPD-led government.

New elections and election organization

The Berlin state returning officer Stephan Bröchler expressed relief at the set election date, while Interior Senator Iris Spranger is optimistic about the organization of the election in the capital. However, up to 3,000 election workers are still being sought to ensure that the new election runs smoothly.

What is particularly noteworthy is that shortened deadlines for postal voting will apply to the federal election in February 2025, which is important for Germans living abroad. According to Article 68 of the Basic Law, the Federal President can dissolve the Bundestag after the Chancellor loses the vote of confidence, which was the case in this case.

The parties are already preparing for the election campaign, with important dates for the nomination of candidates for chancellor and party conferences coming up. In addition, the new Bundestag will probably be smaller, as an electoral law reform will limit the mandates to 630. Numerous prominent MPs such as Kevin Kühnert (SPD), Yvonne Magwas (CDU), Petra Pau (Left) and Renate Künast (Greens) have announced that they will not run again.

Overall, the situation highlights the ongoing political unrest and the urgent need for a stable government in Germany, as well as the taz.de reported.

For more details on this topic, you can read the full report from tagesschau.de read.