Chancellor Scholz under pressure: trust or new elections?

Chancellor Scholz under pressure: trust or new elections?

In a dramatic political chess game, the Union and the FDP reject the cooperation in the Bundestag called for by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD)! After the collapse of the traffic light coalition, Thorsten Frei, managing director of the Union faction, is calling for an immediate vote of confidence. "It is high time for the Chancellor to ask the question of trust in view of his broken coalition. This is a given and is expected by the citizens," said Frei in an interview with "Welt am Sonntag". Scholz had previously brought up January 15th as a possible date for the vote of confidence, but the Union remains skeptical.

The SPD, meanwhile, appears willing to talk, but only under certain conditions. Matthias Miersch, the general secretary of the SPD, emphasizes that the Union must go along with important legislative proposals such as child benefit and long-term care insurance before we can talk about new elections. “If this constructive cooperation is secured, we would be happy to talk about the timing of the vote of confidence and the new elections,” explains Miersch. He is particularly pushing for the adoption of the pension package in order to stabilize retirement benefits. “Let us set the pension level at 48 percent,” he urgently demands.

FDP sees Scholz as untrustworthy

The FDP, on the other hand, is dissatisfied with Scholz’s approach. Bijan Djir-Sarai, General Secretary of the FDP, sharply criticized the Chancellor: “The fact that the Chancellor is now delaying this with reference to state political responsibility is completely unbelievable.” The Free Democrats had offered Scholz an orderly end to the coalition and a quick new election, but the Chancellor decided otherwise. "The remaining government of the current Federal Chancellor now consists of two candidates for chancellor who no longer have a majority in parliament. Our country is leaderless," continued Djir-Sarai.

Meanwhile, Federal Returning Officer Ruth Brand is warning of a rushed schedule for new elections. An election in January or February would be risky for organizational reasons. Federal and state election officials will meet on Monday to discuss election preparations. Uncertainty about the exact date of new elections remains as political tensions continue to rise!