Germany’s government collapsed yesterday after Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a vote of confidence. A caretaker government is now steering Europe’s largest economy, with snap elections planned for Feb. 23.
Scholz called the unusual vote last month after firing his finance minister over differences on tax and debt policy, triggering his coalition’s collapse. Some analysts suggest the vote played out as intended, spurring early elections Scholz hopes will deliver his center-left Social Democratic Party an outright majority. Still, recent polls suggest the center-right Christian Democratic Union is on track to return to power, with the conservative populist Alternative for Germany polling in second.
The collapse of Germany’s government is the latest in a string of political upheavals this year; incumbent parties suffered losses or setbacks in at least a dozen countries. The economy is regularly cited as a leading concern for voters, with inflation up across the globe (see map here).
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