In the wake of the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's governing coalition, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has ordered parliament to be dissolved and set a new election date for February 23. Scholz's coalition, a three-party alliance, fell apart on November 6 after a bitter dispute over economic policies led to the firing of his finance minister. Following a confidence vote loss on December 16, Scholz now leads a minority government. As the post-World War II German constitution doesn't allow the Bundestag to dissolve itself, it was up to President Steinmeier to decide whether to call for new elections. He had 21 days to make this decision, and once parliament is dissolved, elections must be held within 60 days.

The early election, now set for February 23, is seven months earlier than originally planned. This move comes after leaders from several major political parties agreed that a new parliamentary election was necessary to resolve the political instability caused by the coalition's collapse. The election will be crucial for determining the future of Germany’s political landscape and the direction of Scholz's government.