Germany’s two largest parties historically have agreed to hold early federal elections on Feb. 23 with Chancellor Olaf Scholz expected to hold a vote of confidence on Dec. 16.
The agreement marks a significant step toward resolving political uncertainty and scheduling a fresh federal election after the collapse of the “traffic light” coalition.
According to Welt, the decision emerged from discussions among key party leaders, including the governing SPD’s parliamentary leader Rolf Mützenich and CDU Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz, with support from the FDP and Greens.
Following the talks, Chancellor Scholz confirmed his willingness to move up the confidence vote if there was consensus. Scholz initially proposed Jan. 15 as the confidence vote date to allow for a March election, but public and political pressure has shifted the timeline forward.
The date change was also influenced by logistical concerns voiced by Federal Returning Officer Ruth Brand, who cited potential difficulties in preparing for a January election with the agreed date understood to be a compromise to ensure a “legally secure” and manageable election process.
The date will need final approval from Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who has reportedly already been briefed by both Merz and Mützenich.
The governing parties are in freefall in the polls with the latest Insa polling for the Bild tabloid newspaper showing the current governing parties with a combined vote share of just 32 percent.
The CDU/CSU opposition is expected to win the most seats in the new Bundestag with 32.5 percent of the vote, according to the latest survey, while the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) will become the second-largest party in the German parliament with current projections of 19.5 percent.
This will create a headache for the previous mainstream parties, all of which have publicly denounced the anti-immigration party and refused to work with them at both a federal and state level.
