Scholz Requests Confidence Vote Amid Coalition Collapse

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is set to request a vote of confidence in parliament on December 16, a necessary step following the collapse of his governing coalition last month. This vote is expected to fail, as Scholz's government no longer commands a majority, forcing him to seek the dissolution of parliament and trigger new federal elections on February 23. The current political landscape shows the opposition conservatives leading in polls at 31%, with Scholz's Social Democrats trailing at 17%. This situation mirrors political instability in France, highlighted by former Prime Minister Michel Barnier's recent no-confidence vote loss. Scholz's coalition, composed of Social Democrats, Greens, and Free Democrats, disintegrated due to ideological differences, halting policymaking in Germany. Analysts caution that voter loyalty may shift rapidly, recalling previous elections where frontrunners lost momentum quickly.