Germany’s President Steinmeier Dissolves Parliament, Announces National Election for February 23

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier dissolved parliament on Friday and announced new elections for 23 February, following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition.

Steinmeier stated that early elections were essential to provide Germany with a stable government capable of addressing its challenges.

Scholz’s three-party coalition disbanded on 6 November after he fired his finance minister during disputes over reviving Germany’s stagnant economy.

The chancellor subsequently lost a confidence vote on 16 December, leaving him at the helm of a minority government. After consulting party leaders, Steinmeier concluded there was no parliamentary majority for a new government under the current Bundestag.

“It is precisely in difficult times like these that stability requires a government capable of taking action and a reliable majority in parliament,” Steinmeier said in Berlin. “For the good of our country, new elections are the right way.”

Under Germany’s post-World War II constitution, the Bundestag cannot dissolve itself, leaving the decision to Steinmeier, who had 21 days to act. Once parliament is dissolved, elections must occur within 60 days. Party leaders agreed on 23 February as the election date, seven months earlier than initially scheduled.

Steinmeier also cautioned against external interference in the upcoming elections. “Outside influence is a danger to democracy, whether covert, as in Romania’s recent elections, or blatant, as seen intensively on platform X,” he warned.

The warning comes after a Romanian court annulled the first round of the country’s presidential election amid allegations of a Russian-led campaign to boost a far-right candidate.

Campaigning in Germany is already underway, with polls showing Scholz’s party trailing the conservative Union bloc led by Friedrich Merz. Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck of the Greens, Scholz’s former coalition partner, is also vying for the chancellorship, though his party lags behind. Current polling suggests that Merz is likely to lead the next government in coalition with at least one other party.

Key issues dominating the campaign include immigration, revitalising the economy, and supporting Ukraine against Russia.

Meanwhile, the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD), polling strongly with an anti-immigration platform, has nominated Alice Weidel as its chancellor candidate. However, the AfD is unlikely to join any government, as all other parties refuse to work with it.

Germany’s electoral system typically produces coalition governments, with no single party close to winning an outright majority. The upcoming elections are expected to be followed by weeks of negotiations to form a new government.

This marks only the fourth time in post-war German history that the Bundestag has been dissolved early. Previous instances include elections in 1972, 1982, and 2005, with the latter leading to Angela Merkel’s narrow victory over then-Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

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