German Chancellor Scholz says open to confidence vote before Christmas

Berlin, Nov 11 (IANS) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he is open to the possibility of calling a confidence vote in the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) before Christmas.

"If everyone agrees that I should call for a vote of confidence before Christmas, that's no problem for me," Scholz said in an interview with public broadcaster ARD, Xinhua news agency reported.

Scholz stressed that such a move requires an agreement between government and opposition representatives. "I am not clinging to my office," he added.

After failing to reach consensus over the government's budget plan, the Free Democratic Party (FDP) left Germany's ruling coalition last week.

Following the government rift, Scholz announced his plans to seek a vote of confidence in the Bundestag next year, scheduled for January 15, 2025. However, opposition leaders have been pressing for an earlier vote.

Should Scholz fail the confidence vote, the president could dissolve the parliament within 21 days. Snap elections will have to take place within 60 days of the dissolution.

The scheduled date for Germany's next federal election was September 28, 2025.

--IANS

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