Germany's coalition collapses, early elections on the horizon
Commentators believe that Olaf Scholz's beleaguered coalition government had no future prospects, and its collapse presents an opportunity for a new beginning. Could Friedrich Merz become the new chancellor?
"The end of the coalition is good news for Germany. Another year of this government would not have been beneficial for the country. (...) The self-proclaimed alliance of progress had become a burden: the ruling parties showed disdain for one another, many Germans grew disillusioned with them, and the economy entered a recession, partly due to an unpredictable situation," writes Nicolas Richter in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Accelerated elections will be held in the spring.
The author explained that the coalition fell apart due to a dispute between the leftist parties—the SPD and the Greens—and the much more right-leaning FDP from the very beginning. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's dismissal of Finance Minister Christian Lindner was the "logical consequence" of this.
According to Richter, Lindner forced the head of the government to make this decision by acting increasingly self-serving. "Among the three party leaders forming the coalition, no one challenged previous agreements as aggressively as Lindner did. As the leader of the smallest party, he insisted that all other parties make fundamental changes. From his point of view, this was understandable. Participation in the coalition harmed no other party as much as it did the FDP," reads the "SZ".
Richter believes that accelerated elections offer a chance for "a new government with a fresh team" without lingering animosities. The author cautioned that no miracles should be expected. If the CDU/CSU win, they will have to govern with the SPD and the Greens, which means renewed conflicts, this time between the Greens and Bavaria's CSU. If this government also collapses, a majority of populists is a threat, warned the commentator from "Sueddeutsche Zeitung".
"Earthquake in Berlin"
"On the day of Trump's shocking victory, the earth also moved in Berlin. The 'traffic light coalition' (named after the colours representing the parties: red – SPD, yellow – FDP, green – the Green Party) is now a thing of the past, an infamous history", writes Berthold Kohler in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
The commentator noted that all of political Berlin hoped for Kamala Harris's victory. Trump's program sends shivers of fear through Germany's capital, except for the AfD.
"Germans, who don't like Trump (and vice versa), face a difficult situation even without it. If the president-elect acts according to his nature and promises, times could become even harder. A trade war with the United States would impact the economy and the budget, which already has a significant deficit," Kohler warned.
"Trump's reelection compels Germany to change its defence, economic, and financial policies, something that should have happened long ago. A coalition already in crisis is incapable of this. The SPD and the Greens do not want a change in economic and energy policy, which Lindner demanded even before the American elections," concludes Kohler.
"Brutal but necessary political divorce"
"Lindner and Scholz have settled their accounts. Both are losers. One evaded responsibility, and the other suffered failure. Yet, now is precisely the time for responsible action," writes Christian Tretbar in "Tagesspiegel."
The commentator pointed out that the no-confidence vote against Scholz, scheduled for January, was long ago decided by the citizens: the chancellor and his coalition are among the "most disliked in the polls, with a significant majority supporting accelerated elections.
"Sense of decline"
The end of the coalition is not a reason for joy – assessed Stefan Reinecke in "Tageszeitung". The failure likely marks "the end of the long hegemony of left-wing liberals in the Federal Republic of Germany". The commentator writes that the coalition's collapse followed "months of agony", so it is no surprise, but the "dramatic timing" – the day after Trump's success, makes it seem melodramatic in the normally unemotional German politics – "a sense of decline".
The collapse of the coalition signifies the failure of liberal, climate-friendly politics based on social compromise in times of "a brutal turn to the right". "The next chancellor, barring a miracle, will be Friedrich Merz – a backward economic liberal, deaf to climate and social issues," assessed Reinecke. In his opinion, the political climate in Germany is increasingly dictated by the AfD.
