(de-news.net) – In the dispute over the date of the new Bundestag election, the CDU has criticized the Federal Election Commissioner’s concerns about a new election date in January as absurd. Thorsten Frei and CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann emphasize that Germany must be able to hold elections within 60 days. The traffic light coalition led by Scholz collapsed last Wednesday due to differences in economic and budgetary policy. According to Article 68 of the Constitution, the Federal Chancellor can ask the Bundestag for a vote of confidence. If the motion does not find a majority, the Federal President can dissolve Parliament at the Chancellor’s suggestion. The Federal President has 21 days to do this. After the dissolution of Parliament, the new election must take place within 60 days.
Union Chancellor candidate Merz brought up two dates in February for the new elections. In a meeting of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group executive committee, Merz said February 16 or 23 could be a feasible date. Chancellor Scholz has now shown himself willing to talk, after initially proposing January 15 for the vote of confidence and new elections at the end of March. After public pressure, he declared that he was prepared to ask the vote of confidence before Christmas. Federal Returning Officer, Ruth Brand, on the other hand, reiterated her recommendation not to set a new election date too soon after the Bundestag is dissolved in order to best meet the challenges of organizing the election.
SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch has signaled his willingness to talk to the Union about an earlier date for the vote of confidence in Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Bundestag. However, the concerns of the Federal Returning Officer must always be taken into account and it must be ensured that a fair and properly prepared election is possible, he pointed out. One condition is that the Union helps to decide on certain projects before a new election in the Bundestag. In particular, Miersch called on the Union to jointly adopt the pension package with a stabilization of old-age benefits before the new elections take place. Miersch emphasized that the decision ultimately rests with the Chancellor and that orderly elections require a certain amount of lead time.
The CDU/CSU parliamentary group, for its part, considers further agreements with the SPD parliamentary group on the date of the Chancellor’s vote of confidence to be unnecessary and rejects them. First Parliamentary Secretary Thorsten Frei said that Scholz should not throw any more smokescreens now, but should act quickly. Scholz had stated in the ARD talk that Union parliamentary group leader Merz and SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich should agree on when the Chancellor should ask the vote of confidence.
The chairwoman of the Mittelstands- und Wirtschaftsunion (MIT), Gitta Connemann, believes that the Chancellor has a duty to ask the vote of confidence. Connemann emphasized that Scholz must ask the vote of confidence soon. At the same time, the CDU politician said that the Union now had to sort out which laws still needed to be introduced out of state political responsibility. The CDU general secretary, however, rejected the Chancellor’s condition for an earlier date for the vote of confidence. Linnemann stressed that the country needed a fresh start, which was only possible with a new government.
The CDU/CSU parliamentary group is also demanding clarification from Federal Election Commissioner Brand about a letter to Chancellor Scholz in which she warns against setting a new election date that is too early. The Union parliamentary group’s domestic policy spokesman, Throm, described the letter as irritating and sees it as a contradiction to previous statements. Brand had expressed organizational concerns about an early date and emphasized that she was independent in carrying out her duties.
Finally, FDP General Secretary Djir-Sarai expects Scholz to ask the vote of confidence as quickly as possible in order to avoid a long stalemate. The SPD and the Greens criticize the Union for its attacks on the Federal Election Commissioner. The parliamentary manager of the SPD parliamentary group, Katja Mast, and the Greens’ first parliamentary manager, Irene Mihalic, emphasize that the Federal Election Commissioner is only fulfilling her task by pointing out appropriate procedures.
At the same time, the Greens increased the pressure on Scholz to ask the vote of confidence before January 15, 2025. Anton Hofreiter and Mihalic called for clarification before Christmas, while Erik Marquardt is pushing for the elections to be organized quickly. Mihalic expects Scholz to take clear steps, which he is expected to announce in his government statement on Wednesday. Omid Nouripour, the current head of the Greens, and Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck were also open to an earlier election date and accused the SPD and the Union of political errors. Nouripour, meanwhile, defended the Greens’ decision to put forward their own candidate for chancellor despite poor poll ratings.
Overall, the Greens emphasized the need for a government capable of taking action. Nouripour emphasized that the Greens have kept their ministers in the government to ensure stability. The Greens see themselves as well prepared and emphasize the importance of adapting to new times. Nouripour expressed confidence in Habeck as a candidate for chancellor and emphasized his communication skills and his government experience.
FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai is pushing for quick new elections and is demanding that Chancellor Scholz put forward the vote of confidence as soon as possible in order to create clarity about the majority for his course. Djir-Sarai stressed that Germany cannot afford a long stalemate. FDP Chairman Christian Lindner is even making the vote of confidence a condition for further talks in the Bundestag and is refusing to discuss further legislative proposals as long as Scholz does not name an election date. Lindner reiterated his desire to hold the office of Finance Minister in a new government.
