President Frank-Walter Steinmeier dissolved Germany’s lower house of parliament on Friday to pave the way for snap elections on February 23, following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-way coalition.
“Especially in difficult times, like today, stability requires a government capable of action and reliable majorities in parliament,” which is why early elections are the right path for Germany, Steinmeier said in Berlin .
After the elections, problem solving must once again become the core of politics, Steinmeier added in his speech.
The president, whose position has been largely ceremonial in the post-war period, also called for the election campaign to be conducted in a fair and transparent manner.
“External influence is a danger for democracy, whether covert, as was obviously the case recently in the Romanian elections, or open and blatant, as is currently the case particularly intensively on the platform ( of social media)
Scholz, a social democrat who will lead a caretaker government until a new one can be formed, lost a vote of confidence in parliament earlier this month after the departure of Finance Minister Christian Lindner. The Free Democrats left its heavy governing coalition without a legislative majority.
The vote also kicked off the election campaign in earnest, with conservative challenger Friedrich Merz, who surveys show is likely to replace Scholz, saying the incumbent government had imposed excessive regulations and stifled growth.
The conservatives hold a comfortable lead of more than 10 points over the Social Democrats (SPD) in most polls.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is slightly ahead of the SPD, while coalition partner the Greens are in fourth place.
The dominant parties have refused to govern with the AfD, but its presence complicates the parliamentary calculus, making the formation of fragile coalitions more likely.
