Germany's economy is in trouble. The government's collapse and Trump's return bring more risk
The collapse of Germany’s governing coalition and President-elect Donald Trump’s imminent return to the White House are creating new risks for the European Union's biggest economy
WARSAW, Poland — WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The collapse of Germany's governing coalition and President-elect Donald Trump's imminent return to the White House are creating new risks for the European Union's biggest economy, already in a troubling decline.
Germany's economy has been shrinking for the past two years in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, war in Ukraine and competition from China. Amid both structural problems at home and global challenges, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's fractious three-party coalition failed to find a way forward on some key issues.
The situation came to a head Wednesday night when Scholz announced he was firing Finance Minister Christian Lindner. The move effectively meant the collapse of the chancellor's coalition, which relied on Lindner’s pro-business Free Democratic Party, and left the government bereft of a parliamentary majority.
The coalition's breakdown followed weeks of internal disputes over how to boost Germany's ailing economy.
Scholz said he planned to seek a vote of confidence in parliament on Jan. 15, a move that could lead to an early election by the end of March if he loses. Germany's next regularly scheduled election is not until September. In the meantime, he said he would reach out to opposition leader Friedrich Merz of the center-right Christian Democrats to discuss ideas for strengthening the country's economy and defense.
But business leaders called Thursday for Scholz to act much more quickly to produce a stable government that is poised to tackle the crisis.
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