▲ German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the dismissed Finance Minister Christian Lindner.Photo Ap and Afp
Reuters, Dpa and Europa Press
La Jornada Newspaper
Thursday, November 7, 2024, p. 23
Berlin. German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed the Finance Minister yesterday and said he would call a parliamentary vote of confidence in the government in January, paving the way for early elections and unleashing political chaos in Europe’s largest economy. hours after Donald Trump won the elections in the United States.
After dismissing minister Christian Lindner of the Free Democrats (FDP) party, Scholz is expected to lead a minority government, either alone or with the Greens, the second largest party, on the basis of circumstantial parliamentary majorities.
The failure of Scholz’s three-party coalition ends months of disputes over Germany’s budget policy and economic direction, in which the government’s popularity has plummeted and far-right and far-left forces have grown.
We require a government capable of acting, that has the strength to make the necessary decisions for our countryScholz told the press.
He added that he fired Lindner for his obstructionist behavior in budget disputes, and accused the minister of putting party before country and blocking legislation for spurious reasons.
Lindner replied that Olaf Scholz caused a breakup calculated and explained: His carefully prepared statement demonstrates that the chancellor was no longer trying to reach a deal that was workable for all, but rather a calculated breakup of this coalition..
Lindner added that his coalition partners, the Social Democrats and the Greens, did not accept his proposals to try to tackle the crisis in the face of disagreements over the billion-euro hole in the budgets and the economic crisis.
He assured that Scholz ultimately asked that he suspend the debt limit enshrined in the Constitution. I couldn’t agree with thisstated the dismissed Finance Minister.
The measure was announced hours after Trump’s victory in the race for the presidency of the United States, with Europe trying to provide a united response on issues ranging from possible new US tariffs to Russia’s war in Ukraine and the future of the Organization of the North Atlantic Treaty.
The government crisis comes at a critical time for Germany, with a declining economy, aging infrastructure and an unprepared military.
A political shake-up could fuel growing frustration with the main German parties to the benefit of younger populist movements, such as the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD).
The Minister of the Economy, Robert Habeck, of the Greens, made an important concession to the FDP yesterday, stating that the funds that were going to be used to subsidize a new Intel chip factory could serve to plug the budget hole.
If Scholz loses the vote of confidence he would have to dissolve Parliament. The election date was set for September 2025.
