Scholz branded a ‘failure’ as German government collapses

Hamburg: Germany is facing elections in February following the collapse of Olaf Scholz’s government after a feisty debate that saw the chancellor branded a “failure”.

Scholz lost a vote of confidence by 394 to 207, with 116 members of the Bundestag abstaining, leaving him well short of the required 367 votes for a majority.

This was despite the chancellor’s last-ditch attempt to win over MPs with promises of massive spending on security, business and social welfare, which saw him accused of being “on another planet” by his rival Friedrich Merz.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (right), Economy and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck and German Finance Minister Joerg Kukies (left) attend debates before Scholz lost a vote of confidence at the Bundestag.Credit: Getty Images

Merz used every opportunity to attack Scholz in parliament, saying his reign in office had been a failure marked by economic stagnation and international embarrassment.

“You’ve had your chance, Herr Scholz, and you squandered it. Today is a day of relief for Germany,” said the chairman of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party.

“It’s shameful how this government has handled Germany’s position in the European Union.”

It was the culmination of months of political turmoil and instability following the collapse of the ruling “traffic light” coalition, named after the colours of the three parties; the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP).

The three-party government unravelled when Scholz, 66, dismissed Christian Lindner, the FDP leader and the finance minister, over policy disagreements, leading it to withdraw almost all its ministers.

Scholz’s SPD faces heavy defeat in elections, with the CDU, Angela Merkel’s former party, projected to return to power.

Speaking before the vote, Scholz framed the confidence question as a referendum on the country’s future direction.

“The decisions before us are so fundamental that they must be made by the people themselves” he said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during a plenary session at the German parliament Bundestag before the vote.Credit: AP

But he also launched an embittered attack on the FDP for “sabotaging democracy”, and called for a new mandate to address economic and social challenges.

“Entering government requires moral maturity, which the FDP has clearly lacked,” he said.

Scholz framed the snap election as a choice between a future of higher investment and one of cuts that he said the conservatives were promising.

He argued that his government had made great progress over the past three years, including boosting spending on the armed forces, which he said that previous CDU-led governments had left “in a deplorable state”.

Scholz – who served as finance minister for four years in a previous coalition with the conservatives before becoming the head of a new government in 2021 – also outlined plans for massive spending on security, business and social welfare, and accused other parties of wanting to block the investments needed.

“It is high time to invest powerfully and decisively in Germany,” Scholz said, warning about Russia’s war in Ukraine and that “a highly armed nuclear power is waging war in Europe just two hours’ flight from here”.

But Merz demanded to know if his rival’s SPD party saw so much room for progress, why had it not accomplished any when the SPD was part of the governing coalitions.

“Where were you for the last 22 years?” he asked. “Were you on another planet?”

The CDU leader, seen as a top candidate to become the next chancellor, also accused Scholz of leaving Germany in one of its worst economic crises since World War II and criticised his lack of focus on competitiveness.

“He leaves Germany in a deep crisis, isolated in Europe, and politically adrift,” Merz said. “European leaders have stopped taking Scholz seriously. He either remains silent for hours or lectures the world without listening.”

Despite the lost vote, Scholz and his government remain in office until a new Bundestag convenes after the February elections. Until then, his administration continues to function, albeit solely in a caretaker capacity.

The approval of Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German president, to dissolve the Bundestag is largely viewed as a mere formality, with a broad political consensus in favour of early elections.

‘Era of missed opportunities’

This vote, originally scheduled for September 2025, has been moved forward amid calls for a resolution to the ongoing political crisis.

The upcoming election campaign is expected to be fiercely contested, with key themes including migration, economic recovery and climate policy.

Meanwhile, another chancellor candidate, Robert Habeck of the Greens criticised the CDU and its sister party, the Christian Socialist Union (CSU) in Bavaria, saying they are underfunded and backward-looking.

Habeck is trying to present the Greens as champions of sustainable economic reform.

This is although many Green party policies, particularly its stance on heating pumps, have been massively unpopular and seen as out of touch and elitist by many.

Merz and the CDU/CSU are focusing on economic recovery and restoring Germany’s competitive edge, condemning Scholz’s term “an era of missed opportunities”.

Meanwhile, Lindner and his FDP defended their decision to leave the traffic light coalition government, accusing Scholz of blocking necessary reforms.

And Alice Weidel of the hard-right AfD has intensified her rhetoric even further than usual, berating the coalition for economic decline and a perceived failure to manage migration.

The Telegraph, London