Scholz poses question of confidence with election campaign speech in the Bundestag
Published: Monday, Dec 16th 2024, 15:00
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz used his speech on the vote of confidence in the Bundestag to strongly criticize his former coalition partner, the FDP.
His "weeks of sabotage" had not only damaged the government, but also democracy as a whole, he said. "Entering a government requires the necessary moral maturity." In his response, CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader and candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz called the attack "not only disrespectful", but also "sheer impudence".
Scholz's "traffic light" coalition collapsed on November 6 in a dispute over the debt brake. At the time, Scholz had dismissed Finance Minister and FDP leader Christian Lindner. Lindner had opposed the suspension of the debt brake.
In the Bundestag, Scholz reiterated that he is calling for a vote of confidence with the aim of bringing forward the parliamentary elections by seven months. "In this election, the citizens can then determine the political course of our country, that's what it's all about," he told MPs. "That is why I am putting the vote of confidence to the voters today."
Scholz then used most of his almost half-hour speech to set out the program he intends to use in the election campaign. Stable pensions, an increase in the minimum wage, a reduction in VAT and a no to the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine are just a few of the points. He asked voters "for their trust and support".
Vote of confidence is the chancellor's only lever for re-election
For Scholz, the vote of confidence is the only way to bring about an early general election himself. He had already announced this step on November 6 immediately after the dismissal of FDP Finance Minister Christian Lindner and the end of his traffic light coalition. Originally, he did not want to put it forward until January.
Since then, he has led a government supported by the SPD and the Greens, which no longer has a majority in the Bundestag. Without support from the opposition, it can no longer push through anything.
Majority of 367 votes - SPD has 207
It is considered impossible that Scholz will achieve the necessary 367 votes in the vote against his will in order to retain the confidence of the Bundestag. The SPD parliamentary group with its 207 MPs wants to express its confidence in the Chancellor. However, the leadership of the Green parliamentary group has recommended that its 117 MPs abstain. This is to prevent Scholz from unintentionally gaining a majority through votes from the AfD, for example.
If the Greens voted for Scholz, that would be a total of 324 votes, just 43 fewer than the chancellor's majority. In that case, the AfD with its 76 MPs could have given Scholz a majority in purely mathematical terms.
Three AfD MPs want to vote for Scholz
According to AfD leader Alice Weidel, however, only three MPs want to vote for Scholz. Weidel said that they were worried "about a war chancellor Friedrich Merz", who was planning to deliver Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. She did not name names. According to dpa information, the MPs in question are Jürgen Pohl, Christina Baum and Edgar Naujok. According to the information, one or two MPs could also abstain.
Visit to Bellevue Palace for lost trust
If, as intended and expected, Scholz does not obtain a majority in the Bundestag, he will travel to Bellevue Palace immediately after the session and propose to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier that the Bundestag be dissolved.
He then has 21 days to decide whether he agrees and calls a new election within 60 days. As there is a large consensus in the Bundestag that the federal election originally planned for September 28, 2025 should be brought forward, Steinmeier's approval is considered certain. He has also already signaled that he is in agreement with the desired date of February 23.
Scholz remains fully capable of acting
The vote of confidence has no effect on the status of the chancellor and the government. The Chancellor and his government remain in office - in full and not just in an executive capacity. According to Article 69 of the Basic Law, the office of the Federal Chancellor and his ministers only ends when the new Bundestag is constituted no more than 30 days after the election. If negotiations on a new governing coalition have not yet been concluded by this time, the Federal President can ask the old government to continue in office until the new one is sworn in.
©Keystone/SDA
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