German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he'll ask for a vote of confidence in December

German Chancellor Scholz addressing the parliament in Berlin. (Courtesy: Reuters photo)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced that he will ask for a vote of confidence on December 16, paving the way forward for an early parliamentary election in February.

Scholz declared his plans for a vote of confidence during a speech in parliament on Wednesday, one week after his three-party coalition government collapsed.

He had initially wanted to have an early election only by late March — before the vote that is regularly scheduled for September 2025.

However, the center-right Christian opposition pushed for a quicker vote in the parliament to speed up the next election.

In the end, party leaders across the political spectrum agreed on Wednesday on the two dates for the vote of confidence and the new election.