Critical day in Germany: Confidence vote for Chancellor Scholz.

In today's session of the German Federal Parliament, the agenda will be the vote of confidence that will determine the fate of the current government.

LINDNER'S REMOVAL SPARKED THE FUSE FOR EARLY ELECTIONS

Last month, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who removed Finance Minister Christian Lindner from his position, sparked the fuse for early elections, leading to the withdrawal of the coalition partner Free Democratic Party from the government. Following the collapse of the "Traffic Light Coalition," consisting of the Social Democratic Party, the Green Party, and the Free Democratic Party, it was decided to hold a vote of confidence in Parliament for Chancellor Scholz. If Scholz fails to pass the vote of confidence scheduled for today, early elections will be held on February 23, 2025. To pave the way for early elections, Scholz requested a vote of confidence from Parliament, stating, "If the members of Parliament follow the path I proposed, I will recommend to President Steinmeier to dissolve the parliament on Monday afternoon."

SCHOLZ DEFENDED HIMSELF AT THE PODIUM

After the opening speech by the Speaker of the Parliament, Barbel Bas, Chancellor Scholz took the podium, stating, "Let us not forget that we are living in a new time," and emphasized that he kept his promises regarding economic policies and raised the minimum wage to 12 Euros per hour. Turning his speech into a sort of early election campaign, Scholz argued that his former partner, the Free Democratic Party, was responsible for the government's collapse, which he condemned multiple times. Highlighting the necessity of government spending to halt the economic downturn, Scholz stated, "If there is a country in the world that can invest, it is us," and called for an update to the borrowing limit that restricts public investments.

"GERMAN AND UKRAINIAN ARMIES MUST BE SUPPORTED"

Stating that "No voter could have predicted the challenges we would face in the last three years. We need more economic growth," Scholz expressed that both the German army and the Ukrainian army should be supported. He also reiterated his opposition to sending long-range Taurus missiles or German soldiers to Ukraine.

POTENTIAL WINNER OF EARLY ELECTIONS: MERZ

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who is expected to be the new chancellor in the early elections to be held in February, stated that a vote of confidence should be held as soon as possible following the government's collapse. Merz, who is also the former leader of the CDU and a contender for the seat of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, described the upcoming vote as "I can define today as a day of relief." Evaluating Scholz's statements after the government's collapse as "complete arrogance," Merz said, "Olaf Scholz has not been able to successfully manage the coalition as chancellor. The three parties should not have been together in any way."