Germany’s head of state dissolved the country’s lower house of parliament on Friday, starting the countdown to a general election.
“Germany’s political stability is a precious asset,” President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement. ” he added.
Steinmeier’s decision came after Prime Minister Olaf Scholz was rejected in a vote of confidence in parliament on December 16.
Steinmeier has set a new election date for February 23.
Parliamentary leaders from Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the conservative opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) had agreed on this date in advance.
Who will be the next prime minister?
Recent opinion polls show the CDU, led by Friedrich Merz, with a lead of about 10 points over the centre-left SPD, suggesting a tough fight for Scholz’s re-election.
The far-right populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been polling well and has nominated Alice Weidel as its candidate for chancellor.
But other political parties have so far refused to cooperate with the AfD, so there is little chance of Weidel taking the job.
Key issues facing Germany include immigration, economic revitalization, and how best to help Ukraine fight continued Russian aggression.
“There must be no hatred, no violence, no slander and intimidation in this campaign, all of which are poison to democracy,” Steinmeier said.
The president also spoke to political parties about the challenges the next administration will face, given “economic instability, including wars in the Middle East and Ukraine,” and ongoing debates over immigration and climate change. told voters.
kb/rc (DPA, Reuters, AFP)
