Germany’s two largest mainstream political parties have officially agreed to hold early federal elections on February 23, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz set to initiate a vote of confidence on December 16.
This agreement signals a major step toward resolving the current political deadlock and planning a new federal election following the breakdown of the “traffic light” coalition.
According to Welt, this decision emerged from talks between key party leaders, including SPD parliamentary head Rolf Mützenich and CDU Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz, with backing from both the FDP and the Greens.
After these discussions, Chancellor Scholz expressed his willingness to expedite the confidence vote, provided there was unified support. Although Scholz originally suggested January 15 as a possible date for the confidence vote to facilitate a March election, both public demand and political pressure have accelerated the timeline. Federal Returning Officer Ruth Brand also cited logistical challenges with a January election, influencing the final date as a practical compromise to ensure a “legally secure” and organized election process.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who has already been briefed by Merz and Mützenich, will need to give the final approval for this plan.
Current polling data reveals a sharp drop in support for the governing parties. According to an Insa poll for Bild, these parties collectively hold only 32 percent of the projected vote. Meanwhile, the CDU/CSU opposition is poised to capture the most seats in the Bundestag, with 32.5 percent of voter support. The populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) is expected to become the second-largest party in parliament, with a predicted 19.5 percent share.
For the traditional mainstream parties, this rising support for AfD presents a significant challenge, as they have consistently refused to collaborate with the anti-immigration party on both federal and state levels.
