Official announcements from German regulatory bodies or major news outlets such as BBC, Reuters, or Deutsche Welle

German President Dissolves Parliament After Scholz's Coalition Collapse, Election Set for February 23, 2025

Dec 27, 2024, 10:26 AM

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has dissolved the Bundestag and announced that early federal elections will be held on February 23, 2025. This decision follows the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-way coalition government after he lost a vote of confidence on December 16th. Steinmeier stated that in difficult times, stability requires an effective government and reliable majorities in parliament. He also warned of external influence on democracy, particularly citing platform X (formerly Twitter) as practicing overt and intensive interference. The move to dissolve parliament was widely expected after the departure of the Free Democrats from the coalition, leaving Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) without a majority. The upcoming election is seen as crucial, with opposition parties leading in the polls and major issues such as foreign policy and the economy at stake.