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Germany: When will the early elections take place?

2024-11-10 16:34:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

If you followed the developments of the last few days, the failure of the government was like a chronicle of a predicted failure, and yet the news of the collapse of the coalition in Berlin came as a shock to the Germans, who in the polls did not cry for this government, on the contrary, they approved elections premature. And when? This is the main question that preoccupies Germany these days: When will the early elections take place?

After the collapse of the government coalition, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) initially set January 15 as the date for the vote of confidence, but after pressure from the Union and FDP, but also from the Greens, still partners in the coalition, Scholz expressed his readiness for a later date. early. He made this readiness clear in the framework of the EU summit in Budapest on Friday, where Scholz said, that "I already announced on Wednesday evening that I would like to enable new elections in Germany as soon as possible, in order to get clarity soon after FDP's departure from the coalition. We must discuss the date as calmly as possible," said Scholz. According to him, it would be good to "reach an agreement between the democratic parliamentary groups in the Bundestag on which laws can be approved this year".

But the opposition, as well as the FDP left from the coalition, have called for an immediate vote of confidence; Union chancellor candidate and CDU leader Friedrich Merz spoke Friday in favor of new elections on January 19. Whether this will be possible remains open.

Germany: When will the early elections take place?

Brand: The preparation of the elections lasts a full 60 days

In the political debate about the date of the elections, the reactions from the highest German official, in the institution that organizes the elections for the Bundestag, are now included. The Federal Director of Elections, Ruth Brand, has scheduled a meeting with her colleagues on Monday (11.11.) to discuss the problems of organizing early elections. The Federal Director of Elections calls on Chancellor Olaf Scholz not to rush the date for new elections. For organizational reasons, this is dangerous, election director Ruth Brand wrote in a letter to Scholz, according to German media.

The letter is titled: "Challenges and risks of early elections in January or February 2025". According to Ruth, "in general, in this case I see a high risk that the cornerstone of democracy and trust in the integrity of the elections will be undermined."

For a well-organized election, the period of 60 days from the dissolution of the Bundestag should be fully utilized. "If the dates and deadlines fell during the Christmas season or between years, the very short 60-day period would be significantly shortened," Brand writes.

Germany: When will the early elections take place?

Brand sees "unforeseen risks"

According to Brand, this can lead to "unpredictable risks at all levels". A number of tasks must be completed in a short time: Securing the IT infrastructure at the federal, state and local level, including security measures against threats hybrid; Preparation of voting materials such as ballots, which is difficult due to current supply constraints; Appointment and training of appropriate polling booths.

Brand also fears that election proposals under time pressure may have errors, leading to disapproval and new problems. For example, inexperienced parties that need to collect supporting signatures would be under even greater time pressure. Overcrowding of election offices can result in postal voting documents not being delivered on time, especially overseas.

Brand calls on Scholz to consider the mentioned risks when considering early elections and to support the authorities in the proper preparation and implementation of the elections./ DW