Question of trust failed: Scholz calls for new elections!

Question of trust failed: Scholz calls for new elections!

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) suffered a clear defeat in the vote on the vote of confidence on December 16th. According to Bundestag President Bärbel Bas, 207 MPs voted for him, 394 against him, while 116 MPs abstained. Scholz therefore clearly missed the necessary majority of 367 votes and is now preparing for new elections. In the coming days, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will decide on the motion to dissolve the Bundestag, which is scheduled for February 23rd vol.at reported.

The break of the traffic light coalition

The vote was triggered by the collapse of the traffic light coalition, in particular by the dispute over budget policy with former Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP). In his Bundestag speech, Scholz criticized the “weeks of sabotage” of his cabinet by the FDP and emphasized the need for a stable government. Lindner, on the other hand, rejected Scholz's economic policy and described the proposal to reduce VAT on food as disproportionately expensive. Loud BR.de Questions of trust can also be used strategically to pave the way to new elections, which is what Scholz apparently intends.

If Scholz does not receive a majority in a vote of confidence, he can ask the Federal President to dissolve the Bundestag. According to the Basic Law, this person has a maximum of 21 days to comply with this request. The risk that the Bundestag will unexpectedly express its confidence in Scholz is considered to be very low, so the new elections on February 23rd can be viewed as fixed. Historically, the question of trust has been used several times in Germany since the founding of the Federal Republic to bring about political changes.