Germany is preparing for new elections after Chancellor Scholz lost a vote of confidence Political Affairs

After the collapse of Olaf Scholz's coalition, the election will be held on February 23, seven months ahead of schedule.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has lost a vote of confidence in Parliament, prompting an emergency election seven months ahead of schedule.

Monday's vote came after the collapse of Scholz's fragile coalition, sparking a political crisis in the European Union's biggest economy.

Scholz won the support of 207 lawmakers in the 733-seat lower house, or Bundestag, while 394 voted against him and 116 abstained. That left him well short of the 367 needed to win.

Voting for the new parliament will be held on February 23.

The ruling coalition, which includes three political parties, has been shaken after Scholz fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner in November.

Lindner's pro-business Free Democrats then quit the coalition government, depriving Scholz of a governing majority.

The center-left Scholz and the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Green Party will continue to rule the country without the support of parliament until a new government is formed.

Monday's surprise development came after months of disagreement over fiscal priorities and debt use.

Scholz, who previously served as finance minister before becoming head of the new government in 2021, accused the Free Democrats of seeking to block investment in Germany.

He framed the snap election as an opportunity for voters to set a new course, framing it as a choice between a future of growth and one of consolidation.

Considering a second term, Scholz said he would invest more in Germany's stronger infrastructure, not cut spending, which he says lawmakers want.

Scholz and his right-wing rival Friedrich Merz, in polls suggesting he may succeed him, clashed in a debate before the vote, accusing each other of being incompetent.

“Disagreement may save money in the short term, but the mortgage for our future is unaffordable,” Scholz told lawmakers.

Merz told Scholz that his spending plans would burden future generations, and accused the chancellor of failing to deliver on promises to return weapons following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Conservatives have a comfortable, or narrow, lead of more than 10 points over the SPD in the majority vote.

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is lagging behind Scholz's party, while the Greens are in fourth place.

The main parties have refused to rule with the AfD, but its presence complicates parliamentary politics, making tripartite coalitions like Scholz's more likely.

Meanwhile, the chancellor outlined a list of emergency measures he could pass before the election, including €11 billion in tax cuts and an increase in child benefits.