There are absolutely no reasons to pose a question of confidence first in January, says Friedrich Merz, party leader for the conservative opposition party CDU, and demands according to Der Spiegel a vote at the latest in the beginning of next week.
Scholz's announcement about a confidence vote in January came shortly after the news that Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) had been fired, in the middle of working on next year's state budget.
Lindner's dismissal got the three remaining FDP ministers in Scholz's so-called traffic light coalition (after the parties' colors) to resign in protest – and the government cooperation's collapse was thus a fact.
The Coalition "History"
However, Transport Minister Volker Wissing withdrew his resignation on Thursday morning. Instead, he left his party.
Olaf Scholz's government has consisted of the social democratic SPD, the liberal FDP, and the Green party. SPD now wants to continue to govern in minority with the Greens, but the opposition claims that the government no longer has legitimacy.
The traffic light coalition is history since last night, says CDU's Friedrich Merz according to Der Spiegel on Thursday.
Kukies' New Minister
The crisis is believed to lead to early elections before the regular election, which is planned for September. Many now regard 68-year-old Merz as Germany's likely next Chancellor.
A remaining traffic light coalition cannot claim to continue to govern, says Alexander Dobrindt, CDU's Bavarian sister party CSU's group leader in the federal parliament.
New Finance Minister after Christian Lindner will be Scholz's party colleague Jörg Kukies, reports Tagesschau. Kukies is currently state secretary at Scholz's office and is according to German media close to the Chancellor.
