German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had hoped for this outcome when he called for the confidence vote, analysts say. His aim: to win fresh elections in February and come back with a stronger mandate.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has lost a confidence vote in the German parliament, putting the European Union’s most populous member and biggest economy on course to hold an early election in February.

Polls suggest that a February election will result in a rightward shift, at a moment when Europe’s largest economy is faltering.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a parliamentary confidence vote on Monday, paving the way for snap elections in February intended to lead Germany out of a political crisis triggered by the collapse of his coalition.

The result paves the way for snap elections to be held on 23 February, with polls indicating Germany could be heading for a right-wing shift in power.View on euronews

The early election does not serve to let voters decide on the big issues of the future, but to bring a government into power that is stable enough to enforce highly unpopular measures—social cuts, mass layoffs,

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday lost a vote of confidence in the Bundestag, or lower house. The move paves the way for new elections expected to be held in February, but a number of formal steps must yet take place before the country can head to the polls.