Two thirds of German voters want prompt new elections: poll

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz walks after holding a press conference during an informal EU Summit in Budapest, Hungary, November 8, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

About two thirds of German voters want snap elections as soon as possible after this week’s collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ruling coalition, a poll showed on Friday (November 8, 2024).

Europe’s biggest economy was hurled into political turmoil when Scholz’s three-party alliance imploded after months of infighting on Wednesday (November 6, 2024), the day Donald Trump won the United States presidential election.

Centre-left leader Mr. Scholz has vowed to cling on in a minority government for now, and to ask for a confidence vote in mid-January that is likely to lead to snap elections in March.

But the conservative opposition CDU and all other major parties have demanded Mr. Scholz immediately pave the way for new elections — a position shared by a majority of the electorate, according to a poll published Friday.

Some 65% of German voters are in favour of prompt new elections, while just 33% support Scholz’s timeline, according to the survey for public broadcaster ARD.

Germany’s motley coalition between the Social Democrats (SPD), the left-leaning Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) had become deeply unpopular in the run-up to the crash after months of bitter infighting.

Around 59% of respondents to the poll said they were happy about the end of the so-called “traffic light” coalition, named for the colours of the three parties.

The popular Bild daily on Friday (November 8, 2024) called for Mr. Scholz to “clear the way” for a new government.

“You, Mr Scholz, have tried and failed,” Bild editor Marion Horn wrote. “Let us voters reassign the mandate of power… as quickly as possible.”

Campaign mode

The crisis, centred on discord over economic and fiscal policy, came to a head when Scholz sacked his rebellious finance minister Christian Lindner from the FDP, ousting the smallest party from the coalition.

The move leaves the SPD and the Greens ruling in a precarious minority government at a time when Germany is facing multiple domestic and international crises.

Mr. Scholz is counting on the support of the conservative opposition CDU-CSU alliance to help pass a flurry of laws through parliament before Christmas.