German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has lost a confidence vote in parliament, leading to its dissolution and the call for fresh national elections.
The result clears the way for snap elections on 23 February, with polls suggesting Germany could be poised for a right-wing shift in power.
Scholz secured only 207 votes in the 733-seat Bundestag, falling far short of the 367 needed to retain power.
The outcome was widely anticipated after the collapse of the government’s three-way coalition amid bitter divisions over fiscal policy. Scholz himself supported holding an early general election. However, speculation swirled before the vote that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) might attempt to derail the process by voting to keep Scholz in office against his wishes.
via The Guardian
