Bundestag election planned for February 23 after “traffic light” exit
Published: Tuesday, Nov 12th 2024, 13:50
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Following the collapse of the "traffic light" coalition in Germany, a new Bundestag is to be elected on February 23. After days of wrangling, the SPD and CDU/CSU agreed to aim for this date. It has also been agreed with the Greens as the SPD's junior partner in the red-green minority government.
First of all, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will face a vote of confidence in the Bundestag on December 16. If, as expected, he does not receive a majority, the cabinet will formally propose the election date to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who will then decide. However, this is then only a formality.
Scholz originally wanted to leave at the end of March, the Union in mid-January
The "traffic light" coalition between the SPD, FDP and Greens collapsed last Wednesday. Scholz originally wanted to call a vote of confidence on January 15 in order to bring about a new election at the end of March. After public pressure, he had shown himself willing to compromise. He said on Sunday that if the heads of the SPD and CDU/CSU parliamentary groups - Rolf Mützenich and Friedrich Merz - reached an agreement on the matter, he would abide by it and would be ready for a vote of confidence before Christmas.
The Christian Democrats originally wanted the election date to be January 19. On Monday and Tuesday, Merz and Mützenich held talks on a compromise. The result is now February 23. In order to achieve this, Scholz will face a vote of confidence in the Bundestag on December 16. If he does not receive a majority there, the Federal President has 21 days to dissolve the Bundestag. There is then a 60-day deadline by which the new election must take place. This deadline is February 23.
Federal Election Commissioner considers February 23 feasible
Extensive preparations must now be made before February 23. Election committees must be appointed at district and state level, polling assistants must be recruited and trained, polling stations must be found and equipped. Election notifications are sent out to over 60 million voters. In addition, postal voting documents are sent out and postal voting districts are set up - 25,000 in 2021.
Federal Returning Officer Ruth Brand nevertheless considers the date to be uncritical. I consider the possible dates in February mentioned in the media "to be legally feasible", said Brand at a special meeting of the Bundestag's election review committee before the decision was announced.
No state elections before new elections
There will now be no more state elections until the federal elections. The municipal elections in Hamburg will take place a week later on March 2. This is one of the reasons why the SPD had sympathized with a date in March. It assumes that it will once again be the strongest force in Hamburg with its First Mayor Peter Tschentscher and would have liked to take the momentum into the federal elections. The CDU/CSU wanted to prevent this. The Social Democrats are currently between 15 and 18 percentage points behind the CDU and CSU in the polls.
New election in 109 days - faster than in 2005
The new election will now take place even faster than the most recent historic example in 2005, when the then Chancellor Gerhard Schr?der (SPD) called a vote of confidence. At that time, there were 119 days between the decision for a new election and the date, now it is 109 days.
©Keystone/SDA
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