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In Germany, opposition parties and business groups are urging Chancellor Olaf Scholz to trigger new elections as soon as possible. His three-party coalition government collapsed yesterday, plunging Europe's largest economy into political turmoil. NPR Berlin correspondent Rob Schmitz reports.
ROB SCHMITZ, BYLINE: Scholz's coalition government fell apart on Wednesday, after a dayslong dispute over how to plug a multibillion-euro hole in the budget while continuing to provide more support for Ukraine in the wake of the election of Donald Trump in the U.S. After firing his finance minister, Scholz announced that a confidence vote in his now-minority government would be held in January, paving the way for a new election next spring. But opposition leader Friedrich Merz was one of the many politicians calling on Scholz to pick up the pace.
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FRIEDRICH MERZ: (Speaking German).
SCHMITZ: "We simply cannot afford to have a government without a majority for several months, and then an election campaign for several more months, followed by weeks of coalition negotiations," said an exasperated Merz. "New elections," he said, "need to happen now." Other politicians - including the far-right AFD party co-chair Alice Weidel - piled on the criticism of Scholz, calling his government weak.
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ALICE WEIDEL: (Speaking German).
SCHMITZ: "Germany's industry is on the brink of extinction," exclaimed Weidel. "And Scholz is misusing the war in Ukraine as a flimsy pretext to undermine these budget talks," she said.
If an election were held today in Germany, Merz's center-right CDU Party - the party of former Chancellor Angela Merkel - would likely garner the most votes, followed by Weidel's far-right AFD Party. Because Merz has refused to govern with the AFD, it would likely mean the CDU would team up with Scholz's social Democrats to form a new government. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier says, whatever happens, Germans need to remain calm.
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PRESIDENT FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER: (Speaking German).
SCHMITZ: "Many in our country are worried about these uncertain political times here in Europe and in the U.S.," said Steinmeier. "This is not the time for party tactics and squabbling. It's a time for reason and responsibility."
Rob Schmitz, NPR News, Berlin.
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