German government coalition collapses; early elections expected by end of March 2025

Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, Chancellor Scholz heavily criticized Lindner for blocking his efforts to reach a compromise on the budget and the government’s economic policy.

“He too often used political tactics, has broken my trust, even unilaterally rescinding the agreement on the budget after we had already agreed on it after long negotiations,” he said.

“Whoever joins a government must act seriously and responsibly. They must not hide when things get difficult. They must be prepared to compromise in the interests of all citizens.

“But tht is not what Christian Lindner is concerned about right now. He is concerned about his own clientele. He is concerned about the short-term survival of his own party,” he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Scholz held crisis talks with the leaders of the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Free Democrats to reconcile their differences on the budget, economic policy and investments.

The Social Democrat chancellor said that after the coalition’s collapse, he will now consult with the main opposition Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and will call for a vote of confidence to hold early elections.

“In the very first week of the parliamentary session in the new year, I will put forward the vote of confidence so that the Bundestag can vote on it on Jan. 15, so that the members of the Bundestag can decide whether to clear the way for early elections. These elections could then take place by the end of March at the latest, subject to the deadlines stipulated in the Basic Law,” he said.