The ball is now in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s court after political party leaders in Germany agreed to hold early parliamentary elections on February 23. Here are the next steps:
\- Scholz puts forward a motion in the Bundestag for a vote of confidence in his government – in the expectation that it fails as he no longer holds a majority.
\- The Bundestag votes on the motion 48 hours later.
\- The chancellor proposes the dissolution of the Bundestag to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier under the terms of Article 68 of the German constitution.
\- Steinmeier then has 21 days to dissolve the Bundestag. The constitution does not compel him to do so.
\- If the president does dissolve the Bundestag, he will simultaneously set a date for the elections. This has to take place within 60 days of the dissolution of the Bundestag, according to Article 39 of the constitution.
\- The president normally follows the government’s recommendation for an election date.
\- Elections are expected to take place on Sunday, February 23 – less than three and a half months from now. German national elections always take place on a Sunday.
