German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has taken the significant step of dissolving the country's lower house of parliament, setting the stage for snap elections scheduled for February 23. This decision comes in the wake of the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-way coalition, which was triggered by a confidence vote that Scholz lost earlier this month.
The departure of Finance Minister Christian Lindner's Free Democrats from the coalition left Scholz's government without a legislative majority, prompting the need for new elections. The dissolution of the lower house marks the formal beginning of the election process, with campaigning already underway.
Conservative challenger Friedrich Merz, who is poised to replace Scholz according to surveys, has criticized the incumbent government for what he perceives as excessive regulations and hindrances to economic growth. Polls indicate that the conservative party holds a comfortable lead of more than 10 points over the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which is currently in power.
Notably, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has garnered support that places it slightly ahead of Scholz's party in the polls. However, mainstream parties have ruled out forming a coalition with the AfD due to ideological differences. The presence of the AfD in the political landscape adds complexity to the parliamentary arithmetic, potentially leading to challenging coalition negotiations after the elections.
