Germany Faces Snap Election As Ruling Coalition Collapses

Germany’s three-party ruling coalition collapsed on Wednesday after Chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked Finance Minister Christian Lindner. Hours after Lindner’s sacking, his Free Democratic Party said that it had left the coalition. Germany’s ruling coalition government includes the Social Democratic Party, the Free Democratic Party, and the Green Party. Germany has been ruled by the so-called "traffic-light" coalition since 2021.

Following the decision, Scholz needs to head a minority government with his Social Democrats and the Greens. Meanwhile, the Chancellor also said he would call a confidence vote for January 15. If he loses that vote, a snap election is expected to take place by March. However, the opposition says that the confidence vote should come next week, not next year. The political instability occurred in Germany just hours after Donald Trump’s clear win in the US presidential polls. 

“Too often he has engaged in small-minded party political tactics. He broke my confidence too many times,” Scholz said of Lindner, as quoted by Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, Lindner accused Olaf Scholz of "leading Germany into a phase of uncertainty." The Greens' Economy Minister Robert Habeck stated that the party would not leave the cabinet and that its ministers would continue to serve. The political shake-up comes at a time when Germany is witnessing a flatlining economy and ageing infrastructure.