Germany Scholz loses the motion of censure, after a fierce debate that portends a very tough election campaign

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost one this Monday vote of confidenceafter three hours of intense debate in the German parliament; a debate full recriminations between the social democrats of the SPD and the liberals of the FDP (former partners of the government coalition with the Greens), as well as attacks on the main rival of the opposition, the CDU.

The political climate that exists in the German country predicts that the election campaign in the run-up to the early elections of February 23 it will be very difficult.

A total of 394 deputiesof the 717 who cast their votes, they denied him confidence for the social democratic politician. The Greens’ 116 deputies abstained and their party’s 207 voted in favor of party continuity. After he finished, Scholz went to the Bellevue Palace to ask the German presidentFrank-Walter Steinmeier, the dissolution of parliament and the call for elections seven months ahead of schedule.

During the debate Scholz shot at his former finance ministerthe liberal Christian Lindner, who accuses him of blowing up the coalition with his ‘permanent sabotage’ from within, and against the Conservative leaderFriedrich Merz, who leads the voting intention surveys.

One of the most important dividing lines between the government and the opposition was mainly the economy government expenditure and investments. Scholz and his Social Democratic Party (SPD), together with the Greens, want to implement limited reform of the debt brake, which requires the deficit to be no more than 0.35% of annual GDP, despite the frontal rejection by the Liberals and the liberals. conservative skepticism.

Another clash of views has to do with the disagreements matter of social policywhere the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Social Democratic Union (CSU) and the FDP propose cuts.

Scholz recalled that he won the 2021 elections under the motto “Respect” and added that “not only those who earn 200,000 euros a year deserve respect, but also those who work every day to earn the minimum wage.”

For his part, Merz has responded that he “left the country in one of its greatest crises which took place after the end of the Second World War” and which now wants people to believe “that we must continue like this, that we must incur debt at the expense of the youth generation and spend more.

But in the midst of a fierce debate, everyone showed up be aware that the next government will certainly also be a coalition where it will be necessary to make compromises.