ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Germany is headed for early elections next year. Today, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a vote of confidence in the German Parliament. It's the end of his fractious coalition government, and it marks a historic transition for Europe's largest economy. NPR's Berlin correspondent Rob Schmitz reports.
ROB SCHMITZ, BYLINE: Scholz went into today's vote knowing he would lose, and that's why he asked members of Parliament to submit votes of no confidence, so that voters, he said, could move forward and determine the political course of Germany. But before the vote, Scholz used the podium to attack the economic stance of Germany's conservatives, urging parliamentarians to invest more money into the country's lagging economy.
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OLAF SCHOLZ: (Speaking German).
SCHMITZ: "Germany's biggest problem is crumbling infrastructure," said Scholz. "The IMF is urging us to invest more and so are our economists. They can't be wrong," he said. But opposition politician Friedrich Merz, of the center-right Christian Democratic Union fought back.
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FRIEDRICH MERZ: (Speaking German).
SCHMITZ: "Mr. Chancellor, you stood here today demanding to run up debt at the expense of younger generations," said Merz. "You advocate tax increases too, and this is your answer to the challenges we face?"
Merz will have plenty more to say about the state of Germany's economy. He is the front-runner to become the country's next chancellor. His party is atop the polls, followed by the far-right AFD Party and Scholz's Social Democrats. Merz is promising to cut bureaucratic red tape for businesses and introduce a free market approach to tackling Germany's economic problems. He's also committed to continue supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russia, a big issue in this upcoming election season in Germany.
Germany's early election is scheduled to take place on February 23. Olaf Scholz will remain chancellor until a new government is formed, a task that could take months.
Rob Schmitz, NPR News, Berlin. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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