Three years after taking office, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is asking for a vote of confidence in the Bundestag today to call a new election on February 23. It is considered impossible that Scholz will survive the vote against his will.
“This decision is so fundamental that it must be made by the sovereign himself, by the voters,” said the leader of the government in the Bundestag.
Election campaign program presented
Scholz used most of his half-hour speech to explain the program with which he wanted to enter the election campaign. Stable pensions, an increase in the minimum wage, a reduction in VAT, and no delivery of the Taurus cruise missile to Ukraine are just a few points. He asked the voters for “their trust and support.”
“My goal is also to bring the federal election forward,” Scholz said. Early in the election “the citizens can then set the political course of our country. That’s what it’s all about.” For example, it is about whether Germany dares to make a powerful investment in its future.
If he does not get a majority in the Bundestag as planned, Scholz will go to Bellevue Palace immediately after the meeting and propose to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to dissolve the Bundestag. He then has 21 days to decide if he agrees and calls for a new election within 60 days.
Since there is broad agreement in the Bundestag that the federal election originally planned for September 28, 2025 should be brought forward, Steinmeier’s approval is considered certain.
