New election of the Bundestag
Steinmeier clears the way for new elections
Updated on December 27, 2024Reading time: 5 min.
The traffic light coalition is broken, no new, stable majority is in sight, Germany is in government crisis. There is only one way out for the Federal President.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has dissolved the Bundestag, clearing the way for new elections. This is scheduled to take place on February 23rd next year, as Steinmeier announced in Berlin. He was reacting to the breakup of the traffic light coalition in November and the lost vote of confidence from Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in the Bundestag shortly before Christmas.
Political stability is a valuable asset in Germany, the dissolution of the Bundestag before the end of the legislative period and early elections are the exceptional case, said Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace. “But especially in difficult times like now, stability requires an effective government and reliable majorities in parliament.”
“According to the vote on the vote of confidence, the current government no longer has a majority, but in the discussions I could not see any majorities for a government with a different composition either. That is why I am convinced that new elections are now the right way for the good of our country.” said Steinmeier. The Basic Law has made provisions for this situation. The Bundestag will continue to work until a new Bundestag has been formed. “Our democracy works, even in times of transition.”
Steinmeier referred to the long debate about whether and how to hold a new election and to the upcoming election campaign. Then it will be time “for problem-solving to become the core business of politics again.” This is what people expected. They expected viable proposals for a good future and for a country that could hold its own in difficult times. Steinmeier said he believes people understand that there are painful truths involved.
The next federal government has major tasks ahead of it, said Steinmeier. “That’s why the coming weeks must focus on the best solutions to the challenges of our time.” He mentioned the economically uncertain situation that is causing difficulties for companies and endangering jobs, the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine with their effects in Germany as well, the pressing questions of managing immigration and integration, climate change and peaceful and safe coexistence in our country.
“Respect and decency in the election campaign”
Of course, the debate about the best solutions can also be heated and heated, especially during the election campaign. “Our liberal democracy can handle that, or even more, it needs the competition of ideas,” said Steinmeier. “But I expect this competition to be conducted with respect and decency – if only because after the election the art of compromise will be required in order to form a stable government.”
He opposed attempts at influence from outside. Violence and nothing that prepares it should also have no place in the election campaign. “Denigration, intimidation, violence – all of this is poison for democracy. All of this damages our democracy. We must outlaw violence! I expect this from everyone who applies for responsibility.”
Chancellor Scholz asked the Bundestag on December 16th for a vote of confidence after the traffic light coalition made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP broke up in November after only around three years. Scholz did not receive a majority for his motion – as he intended. He then asked Steinmeier to dissolve the Bundestag in order to clear the way for new elections.
According to Article 68 of the Basic Law, the Federal President can, at the suggestion of the Federal Chancellor, dissolve the Bundestag within 21 days if the latter loses the vote of confidence. Article 39 stipulates that the new election must then take place within 60 days.
Steinmeier only gave himself 11 days to make his decision. However, after the Bundestag’s decision on the vote of confidence, he first held discussions with the chairmen of the parliamentary groups and groups. So he wanted to find out whether there was still a way to achieve a stable political majority in the Bundestag.
The fact that the Bundestag is dissolved prematurely is an absolutely exceptional case in the history of the Federal Republic. Scholz’s vote of confidence was only the sixth since 1949. In three cases, the electoral period ended prematurely. This affected Chancellors Willy Brandt (SPD) in 1972, Helmut Kohl (CDU) in 1982 and Gerhard Schröder (SPD) in 2005.