The Social Democrat Olaf Scholz had himself requested the vote, since his government with the Green Party and the liberal FDP had broken down after long-standing discord.
After a heated debate in the Bundestag in Berlin, the votes were cast, and the message was clear. The Social Democrats no longer had a mandate to govern a Germany struggling with economic and industrial problems.
207 parliamentarians voted in favor of continued confidence in Scholz, while 394 voted against. 116 members abstained.
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier now has 21 days to decide when the parliament should be dissolved. Thereafter, elections must be held within 60 days – according to current plans on February 23.
Wants to Strengthen Defense
The tone in the Bundestag was irritated, angry, and gave a foretaste of the election campaign that is expected to be aggressive. The discord within the former government was also clear, with both direct attacks and angry glances between Scholz and the former Finance Minister, FDP leader Christian Lindner.
In the debate preceding the vote, Scholz said he wants to strengthen confidence in the country's future and that large investments are needed, particularly in defense.
The dismissed Lindner attacked Scholz, saying he "no longer has the strength" to lead the country and that he comes up with "false answers" to the questions Germany faces.
Favorite Merz Critical
The favorite to form Germany's next government is the conservative CDU party leader Friedrich Merz, who in turn launched harsh attacks on the ousted government's policies. He said he would "turn upside down" Germany's economic policy on issues such as benefits and support for the unemployed.
However, the political landscape in Germany is both polarized and fragmented. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) and new constellations on the left mean that forming a new government after the election will be problematic.
After the 2021 election, it took Scholz over two months to get a coalition government approved by the Bundestag in Berlin.
Furthermore, Germany is partially paralyzed, as major legislative proposals or a new budget have difficulty being approved before a new government has been formed.
