German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has agreed to hold early elections to the Bundestag on February 23, 2025.
According to ZDF, representatives of the three main German political parties announced that early elections would be held on this date.
It is noted that a compromise on the date was reached between Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who represents the center-left, and Friedrich Merz, the leader of the opposition from the conservatives.
Scholz is expected to win a confidence vote by Christmas, paving the way for elections in February. His three-party coalition collapsed after long-running disputes over spending and economic stimulus.
The original plan was to hold a confidence vote on January 15, which would have allowed for elections to be held by the end of March. However, under pressure from other party leaders, including Friedrich Merz of the CDU, Scholz decided to speed up the process, which led to the new election date.