Christian Lindner’s dismissal prompted him to withdraw his Free Democrats Party (FDP) from a coalition with Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), leaving Scholz in a minority government with the Green Party.
Scholz said he would now call a confidence vote for January 15, which, if he lost, could allow elections to be held by the end of March next year – six months earlier than the elections planned for September 2025.
Germany now faces turmoil at a time of broader uncertainty. The political crisis was triggered just hours after it was announced former US President Donald Trump will get a second term – an election outcome that could bring further woes to Germany’s economy as well as threaten Europe’s united front on key issues. Here’s what we know.