Coalition Government Breaks, Snap Elections Likely For March

BERLIN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 07: Outgoing Finance Minister Christian Lindner attends his dismissal ceremony at Schloss Bellevue the day after Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired him on November 7, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. Scholz's move comes after weeks of growing rifts between Lindner and other coalition leaders over finance policy. The result is an exodus by the Free Democratic Party (FDP) from the three-party coalition, meaning the German Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens Party will govern as a minority government. Scholz announced he will submit himself to a vote of confidence in the Bundestag in January, with snap federal elections possible for March. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)