International
The German conservative leader urges Chancellor Scholz to call a vote of confidence after the breakup of the government coalition
The leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, urged German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday to submit to a vote of confidence next week at the latest, and not on January 15, as he announced yesterday, after the breakup of the coalition government.
In an appearance before the press, Merz said that “there is no reason to wait until January next year to ask for a vote of confidence,” and stressed that the government coalition, formed by social democrats, greens and liberals, “no longer has a majority” in the lower house.
“Therefore, we have to demand that the chancellor, by unanimous decision of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group – the Bavarian Christian Social Union – immediately convene a vote of confidence, no later than the beginning of next week,” he said.
Call for elections
The conservative politician said that he will ask Scholz at the meeting they will hold this noon “to clear the way” for elections and present his arguments in a subsequent meeting with the country’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Merz alluded to a whole series of international commitments, conferences and decisions in the European Union that “now require a German government to be able to act.”
“We simply cannot afford now to have a government without a majority in Germany for several months and then carry out an electoral campaign for several more months and then possibly several weeks of coalition negotiations. This now has to go fast,” he added.
He said that if Scholz submits to the vote of confidence now, it would be possible to hold general elections in the second half of January and assured that there is enough time for the parties to carry out all the necessary preparations.
“There is no reason at all to wait until the spring of next year,” he insisted.
Scholz’s chief advisor will take over the Finance portfolio
Jörg Kukies, an important advisor to the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and currently Secretary of State in the Chancellery, will assume the portfolio of Minister of Finance of the Government of a minority of Social Democrats and Greens, after the collapse of the coalition with the expulsion of the Liberals.
Kukies, 56, will replace the president of the Liberal Party (FDP), Christian Lindner, who was dismissed yesterday by Scholz with the argument of the loss of confidence and the unwillingness to find compromises to save the coalition.
Economist by training, he worked for a long time for the investment bank Goldman Sachs and before moving to the Foreign Ministry he was Secretary of State in the Ministry of Finance between 2018 and 2021.
The president demands that politicians be up to it
For his part, the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, urged on Thursday all political leaders to assume their responsibility in the face of the enormous challenge now of having a minority government and, almost certainly, early general elections in March after the breakup of the coalition.
“This is not the time for tactics and skirmishes. It’s time for common sense and responsibility. I expect all those responsible to rise to the magnitude of the challenges,” said the head of state in a brief appearance before the media.
Steinmeier recalled that in the 75-year history of the Federal Republic of Germany, it has rarely happened that a government coalition has ceased to have a majority in the Lower House or Bundestag before the end of the legislature.
The president of Germany said that, although the collapse of the Government “is not the end of the world” and the German Constitution includes provisions for these cases, “it is a political crisis that we have to leave behind and that we will leave behind.”
Before the collapse of the coalition, the general elections were scheduled for September 28, while now, given the high possibility that Scholz will lose the vote because he is in the minority, they will probably be held in advance in March.
The German President must decide on the dissolution of the Lower House if the Lower House withdraws its confidence in the Chancellor, in accordance with Article 68 of the Basic Law.
“I am willing to make this decision,” said Steinmeier, who insisted that Germany “needs stable majorities and a government capable of acting,” so “that will be my yardstick.”
International
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
The Chinese government emphasized on Monday the importance of “creating the conditions to return to the proper path of dialogue” between Iran and Israel, which have exchanged attacks in recent days resulting in more than 20 Israeli and over 220 Iranian deaths.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed deep concern at a press conference over the Israeli attacks on Iran and the “sudden escalation” of the military conflict.
Guo called on all parties to “take immediate measures to ease tensions and prevent the region from descending into further turmoil,” stating that “force cannot bring lasting peace.”
“If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify or even expand, the countries of the Middle East will be the first to suffer the consequences,” he added, while noting that China “will continue to maintain communication with the relevant parties, promoting peace and dialogue.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke last Saturday with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to condemn the Israeli airstrike on Iranian territory, which he described as a “violation of international law” with the potential to trigger “disastrous” consequences.
In both calls, Wang reiterated China’s rejection of the use of force, defended diplomacy as the only solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute, and offered China’s mediation to prevent further destabilization in the Middle East.
International
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Sunday the arrest of Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the main suspect in the killing of Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in a Brooklyn Park suburb on Friday night.
Boelter, who also reportedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife early Saturday morning, was apprehended in Sibley County following an intensive manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers.
In a public statement, Governor Walz condemned Boelter’s “unthinkable actions,” which resulted in the death of a woman who “shaped the core of who we are as a state.”
“We cannot become numb to this. We are a deeply divided nation,” Walz said in a statement posted on his X account.
“We move forward not with hatred or violence, but with humility, grace, and civility,” he added.
Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, Walz said the entire state of Minnesota is in mourning. He also thanked law enforcement for their bravery and professionalism: “They have saved lives,” he emphasized.
“As we heal, we will not let fear win,” Walz concluded. “We must honor Melissa by moving forward with understanding, service, and above all, humanity.”
Throughout Sunday, police and sheriff units searched a rural area in Minnesota for Vance Luther Boelter, a security company director and preacher who, according to Governor Walz, acted out of politically motivated violence.
International
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
Approximately 40,000 tourists are stranded in Israel following the closure of the country’s airspace amid escalating hostilities with Iran, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism reported on Monday.
The ministry has set up a virtual office to provide information via email (virtual@goisrael.gov.il) and phone (+972-53-583-5808), as well as a Facebook page called Israel Virtual Tourist Office.
Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz is in contact with hotels and accommodations across the country to offer support to tourists in need, the ministry added.
Many stranded travelers are considering crossing overland into Jordan or Egypt to seek flights from those countries. The Israel Airports Authority reminded the public that land border crossings remain open.
Three German tourists stranded in Jerusalem told EFE today that they have not received any assistance from their country’s embassy in Israel, and their primary option currently is to cross into Jordan to catch a flight from there.
Since early Friday morning, Israel launched operations against Iran, targeting military personnel and infrastructure, including energy and nuclear facilities, as well as numerous residential areas in Tehran.
In response, Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which have struck various locations across the country, leaving at least 24 dead so far, according to Israeli authorities.
Iranian health officials report at least 224 deaths, mostly civilians, including at least 17 senior military officials—nine from the Revolutionary Guard—and more than a dozen nuclear scientists.
The Israeli military has warned that many more “targets” remain, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared on Monday that it will continue missile attacks against Israel until its “destruction.”
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
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