German President Dissolves Parliament

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the President of Germany, on Friday, January 7, issued a decree dissolving the parliament, paving the way for early elections on February 23 of the coming year, which corresponds to Esfand 5 of this year. This decision came after the collapse of the coalition government of Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, which was no longer able to continue after losing its parliamentary majority. In early December, Scholz's government lost its necessary majority in parliament following the exit of the Free Democratic Party led by Finance Minister Christian Lindner from the coalition. This event led to a no-confidence vote against Scholz, resulting in the announcement of early elections. The elections are recognized as one of the most significant political events in Germany. Friedrich Merz, the main rival of Olaf Scholz from the conservative faction, who according to polls has a high chance of succeeding him, criticized the current government for what he called 'excessive regulations and creating barriers to economic growth.' According to polls, Merz's party, the Christian Democrats, ranks first with over 10 percent ahead of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. Meanwhile, the far-right Alternative for Germany party has surpassed the Social Democrats in some polls. The Greens are currently in fourth place. Meanwhile, the main parties in Germany have announced that they are not willing to form a coalition with the Alternative for Germany.