The protocol on the end of the government First the sparks fly - then the traffic light breaks up

The traffic light coalition is at an end. On Wednesday evening it finally broke up, Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed Finance Minister Lindner. The minutes of the fateful evening.

The tensions within the traffic light coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP have intensified to such an extent that the three parties are likely to end their cooperation. Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) is said to have suggested new elections to Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), which he rejected. Shortly afterwards, it became known that Scholz had dismissed Lindner, which effectively sealed the end of the traffic light coalition.

Ticker on the German government crisisCoalition with traffic lights collapses +++ Chancellor Scholz dismisses Finance Minister Lindner

The leaders of the coalition parties had met to discuss the future of their cooperation, particularly in view of the budget shortfall for 2025 and the ailing economy. Despite intensive talks, no agreement could be reached - in fact, there has now been a major rift.

blue News provides the minutes of the evening that finally broke up the traffic light government.

The coalition committee has been meeting in the Chancellery since 6 pm. Initial talks were already held on Monday and Tuesday, and now the big crisis summit follows.

The coalition partners have apparently prepared themselves for long negotiations. According to "Focus", Economics Minister Robert Habeck had already canceled his participation in an evening event on Thursday as a precaution.

Lindner's chief advisor Lars Feld turns to the outside world. Shortly after the start of the crisis meeting, an interview appears in the political magazine "Cicero". Feld discusses Lindner's proposals to Scholz and says: "If it is not possible to reach compromises with the SPD and the Greens that implement substantial parts of the proposals made, the traffic light government is facing the end."

Opposition leader Christian Merz is a guest at an event organized by various start-ups. At 7.30 pm, he utters a sentence that makes people sit up and take notice. He has just learned that the end of the traffic light coalition is "very likely". New elections are to be held on March 9, Merz continues.

The crisis meeting has already lasted around two hours when there is a bang behind the scenes. At 8 p.m., Lindner calls for new elections at the beginning of 2025. As the Bild newspaper reported in the evening, citing circles of participants, Lindner said that the talks of the past few days had shown that there was insufficient common ground for a turnaround in economic and financial policy. After Donald Trump's election victory in the USA, however, an economic turnaround had become even more urgent.

Olaf Scholz speaks out against new elections for the time being. He decides to dismiss the Federal Minister of Finance. It is the end of the traffic light government. The news reaches the public a few minutes later.

According to "Bild", the FDP delegation leaves the Chancellery shortly after 8.30 pm. A crisis meeting of the FDP is to take place that evening. The SPD also wants to meet for exploratory talks during the night.

At 9.15 p.m., Scholz appears before the media and makes serious accusations against Lindner. The FDP politician is only interested in his own clientele and the short-term survival of his own party, says Scholz in Berlin. Companies in the country need support, he said, referring to the weak economy and high energy prices. He also referred to the international situation with the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. "Anyone who refuses a solution or an offer of compromise in such a situation is acting irresponsibly. As Federal Chancellor, I cannot tolerate that."

Chancellor Scholz announces that he intends to call a vote of confidence in the Bundestag in January in order to initiate new elections.

The process could take several months, as the Federal President has 21 days to dissolve parliament after a vote of confidence is rejected. A maximum of 60 days may elapse between the dissolution and the new election, whereby the parties need time to prepare for the election. Any new elections should then be held by the end of March.