early legislative elections will be held on February 23

Germany plans to organize early legislative elections on February 23, 2025 following the breakup of Olaf Scholz's coalition a week ago, AFP learned Tuesday from a source close to the Social Democratic Party of chancellor. After several days of standoff, the date was concluded in agreement with the main opposition party, the conservatives of the CDU/CSU, added this source. According to another source close to the discussions, the chancellor is expected to pose the question of confidence to the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, on December 16.

The vote of the deputies will take place two days after the submission of the motion, according to the same source. This compromise would make it possible to clarify the continuation of events, after the breakdown on Wednesday of the tripartite coalition led by Olaf Scholz which plunged Europe's largest economy into an unprecedented crisis. The chancellor, now at the head of a minority government with the environmentalists, had initially set the vote of confidence for January 15 with a view to a vote in March. But under pressure from all sides to accelerate the pace, the unpopular leader then backtracked and entrusted the task of setting the date to the parliamentary groups of the conservatives of the CDU/CSU, the first opposition party well ahead in the polls. of opinion, and his social democratic party (SPD).