Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has announced the dissolution of parliament, setting new elections for February 23, 2024, after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government lost a confidence vote.
The announcement comes after Scholz’s three-party coalition, struggling with internal disagreements, collapsed in November 2023. The breakdown was sparked by a dispute over how to address Germany’s stagnant economy, leading to the firing of Finance Minister Christian Lindner.
In a statement made in Berlin, Steinmeier explained that after consultations with party leaders, it became clear that there was no agreement on a stable majority government in the current Bundestag.
He stressed the need for stability and a government capable of action, especially during uncertain times. “For the good of our country, new elections are the right way forward,” Steinmeier said.
Under Germany’s post-World War II constitution, the Bundestag could not dissolve itself. As such, the President made the decision.
Once parliament is dissolved, a new election must be held within 60 days. The elections will now take place in February, seven months earlier than originally planned.
The announcement has set the stage for a highly competitive election, with polls showing Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) trailing the conservative opposition Union bloc, led by Friedrich Merz. Scholz’s coalition partner, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck of the Green Party, is also campaigning for the chancellorship, though his party remains further behind in the polls.
Key issues for the upcoming elections will include Germany’s economic challenges, immigration policies, and how best to support Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia.
Despite the growing popularity of the populist, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has nominated Alice Weidel as its chancellor candidate, the AfD is unlikely to join any future coalition government, as other parties have ruled out collaboration with the far-right group.
Germany’s electoral system typically results in coalition governments. With no single party likely to secure an outright majority, negotiations to form a new government are expected to follow the elections.
This marks the fourth time since World War II that the Bundestag has been dissolved early under Germany’s constitution, following similar actions by former chancellors Willy Brandt in 1972, Helmut Kohl in 1982, and Gerhard Schröder in 2005.
