Scholz Pressured to Speed Up Timeline for Elections

After Germany’s governing coalition lost its majority in parliament last week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced he would hold a vote of no confidence in January, opening the path for new elections in March. After intense pressure from his political opponents, this date will now be moved forward.

Political pressure: Opposition leader Friedrich Merz criticized the chancellor’s timeline for new elections.

There are also a whole series of international commitments, conferences and decisions in the European Union that now require a German government capable of taking action. We simply cannot afford to have a government without a majority in Germany for several months and then conduct an election campaign for several more months and then possibly hold coalition negotiations for several weeks.
—Friedrich Merz

Merz, as leader of the Christian Democratic Union, demanded an immediate vote of no confidence to be held this week. The two sides agreed to hold a vote of no confidence on December 16, opening the door for new elections on February 23.

What next? The late Herbert W. Armstrong warned for decades that mounting pressure on Germany would lead to the rise of a strongman in Europe, referred to in many Bible prophecies. Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry highlighted this forecast in “‘May Be of God’s Designing.’”