Germany faces early elections after vote of no confidence in Chancellor Olaf Scholz – as it happened | Germany

Summary of the early evening

Friedrich Merz was also satisfied with the result and said today’s debate allowed German voters to clearly see “what the differences are between the parties.” He again defended the FDP and Lindner after Scholz’s taunts moral maturity (moral maturity) attack, saying that voters also have a clear choice as to “which political style” they prefer.

Britta Haßelmann, co-leader of the Green Party, welcomed the lost vote of confidence as an opportunity for a new beginning after a “damaging” time for Germany. She said the FDP bore “great responsibility” for this damage, but also said that the Greens, as partners in the government coalition, also wanted to examine “what we could have done differently.”

Scholz loses the vote of confidence as planned

MPs begin voting on the confidence level

Sahra Wagenknecht, the big disruptor of German politics this year with her new, conservative and populist party BSW, said that Scholz’s government had “noticeably worsened the lives of citizens” in its three years in power and that the Chancellor was a problem for the voters Sorry guilty. “Three years of decline and you’re asking for a four-year extension – that’s what I call nervousness.”

Weidel’s AfD co-leader Timo Chrupalla accuses Merz of copying his right-wing extremist party with a tougher immigration policy. Merz marked a clear break with his Christian Democrat compatriot Angela Merkel when he called for stricter regulation of border controls and deportations. Chrupalla says Merz’s promises will remain hollow as his CDU/CSU is unlikely to win an absolute majority in February’s parliamentary elections. “Who do you want to implement your suggestions with?” Chrupalla said to Merz and referred to the refusal of all established parties to work with the AfD.

Alice Weidel, co-chair of the far-right AfD, takes to the podium and repeats Merz’s accusation that Scholz should have held the confidence vote immediately after the government collapsed last month. She attacks the previous coalition because of what she believes is a failed migration policy and calls for the “immediate” return of Syrian refugees to Germany. Weidel accuses mainstream parties of making Germany a potential “target” of a nuclear attack, presumably from Russia, by supporting arms aid to Ukraine. Many MPs emptied their seats as Weidel began her speech.

On a day of more or less memorable speeches, Scholz used his broadside against his former finance minister Lindner to suggest that governance needed one thing moral maturity, an old-fashioned expression that roughly means moral maturity seems to have legs. The Chancellor’s finger-wagging admonition sparked an outcry from the opposition.

Lindner’s Free Democrats will have to fight to get into the next parliament. A recent poll puts the center-right CDU/CSU at 31%, followed by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) at 18%, Scholz’s SPD at 17% and the Greens at 13%. The FDP and the new left-conservative alliance Sahra Wagenknecht both barely reach the five percent threshold for parliamentary representation.

Christian Lindner, who had to accept violent attacks from Scholz at the beginning of the debate, was lively in his speech. “Olaf Scholz showed again today that he has no strength for fundamental changes – his answers completely ignore the deep problems of a lack of economic competitiveness.”

Habeck, known for a philosophical approach to politics, warned that although European countries like Germany and France were “busy with themselves,” the world with its major crises was moving on. “Now we have this feeling of uncertainty at a time when we need reassurance.” He said the confidence vote was more than a “technical issue,” but rather a question of how politicians can regain voters’ trust.

The Greens accuse Merz of a lack of consensus

Vice Chancellor and Economics Minister Robert Habeck of the Green Party begins his speech by stating that the government has failed to overcome its huge political differences. “We annoyed each other and the traffic light coalition deserved its bad reputation in many ways,” he said, referring to the colors of the three parties in the failed alliance.

Merz accuses Scholz of undermining Germany on the European stage

Merz takes Scholz to task for his harsh attacks in his speech on the FDP and its leader Christian Lindner. “You talked a lot about respect,” said Merz, referring to one of the leitmotifs of the Social Democrat’s political rhetoric. “But apparently respect stops when it comes to other political opinions.” Merz called Scholz’s dealings with the FDP the collapse of the government “an empty impudence” – pure impudence. There is speculation as to whether Merz would consider the FDP as a potential coalition partner after the election, as the Liberals’ reputation has suffered in the current crisis. Today’s statement of support from Merz is noted by experts and the other parties.

Merz: “Today is a day of relief”

Finally, Scholz draws a positive conclusion after a rather gloomy political season: “There is so much good in our country,” he said. “We are a country that goes to work every day, a country that sticks together and puts unity over division, a country whose best days are not behind us but rather lie ahead.”