Political Crisis in Germany: Scholz’s Dissolution of Coalition

• Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the Free Democrats, leading to a collapse of Germany’s government coalition.
• Scholz announced a minority government consisting of his Social Democrats and the Greens until early next year.
• Despite calls for early elections, Scholz emphasized he didn’t want to call a vote of confidence before January 15.
• President Frank-Walter Steinmeier fired Finance Minister Lindner and two other Free Democrats officials.
• Jörg Kukies, an economic adviser to Scholz, was appointed as Finance Minister.
• Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir agreed to take on the Research Ministry.
• Scholz hopes his minority government will gain support from Merz’s Christian Democrats to pass important legislation and address the billion-euro budget deficit.