Dem
47
GOP
53
Yesterday, there were headlines, worldwide, announcing that the German government has fallen, and that Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a vote of no confidence, 394 to 207, with 116 abstaining.
These things are true, though if you don't read beyond the headline, you might be left with the wrong impression. Having learned certain lessons the hard way in the 1930s, the Germans make it relatively difficult for a chancellor to dissolve a parliament before its natural expiration date. The coalition government that Scholz had been leading was no longer functional, and so it was he who called for, and lobbied for, the vote of no confidence. So, in losing the vote, he actually won.
At least, he won for now. Obviously, Scholz thinks he has a better chance of returning a favorable result now—the election is expected Feb. 23—as opposed to waiting until the natural expiry of parliament in August. Good luck with that, Olaf. We don't know too much about German politics, but we do know that: (1) It's hard to follow a legend like Angela Merkel, and (2) the world is in the middle of a "throw the bums out" era.
The fall of the German government means that yet another of the key leaders of the free world, and of the pro-Ukraine war effort, has been thrown into uncertainty. This is not the most desirable thing, at a time when Trump v2.0 is imminent, but that's how it runs sometimes in world affairs. Meanwhile, if there is a German reader who can say something more substantive about what went wrong for Scholz and his coalition, and what might happen when the election is held, please let us know at comments@electoral-vote.com. (Z)