Parties agree on election date of 23 February

Berlin (dpa) – The two largest groups in parliament, the CDU/CSU and the SPD, have agreed on a proposed date for early Bundestag elections on 23 February. Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz had previously announced that he would go along with what the parliamentary groups agreed. The chancellor is now expected to call a vote of confidence in parliament on 16 December. Given the majority situation, and without the support of the FDP – his former coalition partner – he will lose this vote. According to the law, elections then have to take place within 81 days. As such, the date of the vote of confidence sets the time frame for elections. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will take the final decision regarding the election date.