German coalition gov’t collapses as chancellor dismisses finance minister

Nov. 7 (UPI) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday night that he has dismissed the finance minister, resulting in the collapse of his three-party coalition government.

Scholz announced the dismissal of Finance Minister Christian Lindner from the three-party coalition government during a press conference, stating he was “forced to take this step to avert damage to our country.”

He accused Lindner, of the Free Democratic Party, of being unwilling to compromise on the federal budget needed to kickstart the slowing economy.

“Too often, Federal Minister Lindner has blocked legislation for unrelated reasons. Too often, he has acted with narrow-minded, partisan tactics. Too often, he has broken my trust,” Scholz said.

“He even unilaterally rescinded the agreement on the budget after we had already reached an understanding through lengthy negotiations. There is no foundation of trust for further cooperation. Serious government work is not possible under these conditions.”

He said he presented Scholz with a budget that sought to cap energy costs, secure automotive industry jobs and increase support for Ukraine, but Lindner showed no willingness to implement it.

“I am no longer willing to subject our country to such behavior,” he said.

Lindner responded in a statement saying that the FDP presented economic proposals that Scholz would not discuss.

“Olaf Scholz has long failed to recognize the need for a new economic start for our country. He has long downplayed the economic concerns of citizens.” he said.

“His carefully prepared statement from this evening makes it clear that Olaf Scholz was no longer aiming for a sustainable agreement for all, but rather for a calculated break of this coalition. This is leading Germany into a phase of uncertainty.”

Following Scholz’s announcement, the FDP withdrew from the coalition government, ending the three-party coalition.

Scholz told the public in his press conference that he intends to seek to schedule a confidence vote on Jan. 15, giving the federal Bundestag Parliament time to decide on clearing the way for early elections, which he said could take place as early as the end of March.