Why has the German government collapsed?

The faltering economy triggers a crisis

Illustration of the Brandenburg Gate cracking and collapsing
(Image credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images)

Germany's coalition government has collapsed, a victim of the country's stagnant economy and infighting among the coalition partners.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Thursday he will "lead the country with a minority government," said The Associated Press. His coalition fell apart after he fired Christian Lindner, leader of the Free Democratic Party, as his government's finance minister. Scholz said he does not intend to call new parliamentary elections until Jan. 15 — resisting calls for immediate snap elections. "The citizens will soon have the opportunity to decide anew how to proceed," Scholz added.

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What did the commentators say?

Europe's largest economy "has slowly but steadily sunk into crisis," said The Financial Times. Three big drivers of the economy — the automotive, chemical and engineering sectors — "are all in a slump at the same time," making it likely that the annual gross domestic product will shrink for the second year in a row. That's the "most pronounced downturn" in Germany's postwar history, said Robin Winkler, Deutsche Bank's Germany chief economist. This has left Scholz's coalition "ever more paralyzed" about how to proceed, said the Times: "Light on the horizon is hard to detect."

"Volkswagen's woes mirror Germany's," Hanna Ziady said at CNN. The company recently said it could close factories and cut thousands of jobs. "Things cannot continue as they are now," chief financial officer Arno Antlitz said to reporters. Both Volkswagen and its home country are challenged by "high labor costs, weak productivity and competition from China," Ziady said. Those factors, alongside high taxes and an aging population, will require dramatic action. But arguments among the "fractious" three-way coalition has "left the government lacking a clear vision for the country."

What next?

A coalition collapse could be "disastrous for all three coalition parties," said Reuters. SDP and the Greens have lost support since the 2021 election, and the FDP "could be ejected from parliament altogether." But the dispute involves fundamental differences: FDP wants budget cuts, while the other two parties "agree that targeted government spending is needed to stimulate the economy," Reuters said.

"Germany needs to have an honest debate with itself," Jörn Fleck, the senior director of the Atlantic Council's Europe Center, said at the think tank's blog. But it is tough to know what happens next. A "slight majority" of Germans favored early elections even before the governing coalition fell apart. There is an opportunity, Fleck said. "A fresh start might be the next best chance for Europe's former powerhouse to find its footing."

Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.