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Scholz's risky question of trust: Heading for new elections or political drama?
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz will request a vote of confidence on December 11, 2024 in order to bring about early elections.
Scholz's risky question of trust: Heading for new elections or political drama?
The path to early elections for the Bundestag is taking shape: Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has officially requested a vote of confidence in order to reposition his coalition after FDP Finance Minister Christian Lindner left the traffic light coalition. Scholz plans to bring the motion of confidence to a vote in the Bundestag on Monday, December 16th. This action, in accordance with Article 68 of the Basic Law, could allow him to bring forward the new election to February 23 if he is denied the confidence of parliament, reported the Swabian.
Scholz’s challenging position
In order to achieve the chancellor's majority, Scholz needs 367 votes from the 733 members of the Bundestag. While the SPD and its 207 MPs want to express their confidence in him, the decision of the Greens, who currently remain in the coalition, remains uncertain. Britta Haßelmann, the leader of the Green Party, had initially announced support, but a possible abstention could complicate the situation. The AfD's behavior is also intriguing: a member of parliament has signaled that he wants to support Scholz, which could increase hopes of a different majority bundestag.de reported.
The voting procedure is clearly regulated: After a 90-minute debate, the vote will take place in roll call form, which means that the voting behavior of each MP can be clearly understood. From a historical perspective, there have only been five such questions of confidence since 1949, with confidence being withdrawn from the Chancellor in the vast majority of cases. If Scholz loses the vote, he would suggest to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier that the Bundestag be dissolved, which could lead to a new election within 60 days. These legal framework conditions are set out in the Basic Law, and according to Scholz's previous statements, the need for stable majorities and governments capable of acting is currently an important issue.