Berlin, 11 November 2024 (dpa/MIA) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he can imagine calling a confidence vote in the Bundestag before Christmas.

"It is no problem at all for me to call a vote of confidence before Christmas if everyone agrees," Scholz told public broadcaster ARD.

He had originally said he would hold the vote in January, after his coalition collapsed last week, but that prompted a heated debate with demands, especially from the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, to hold it sooner. A vote of confidence is needed before elections can proceed.

Friedrich Merz, CDU head and the chancellor candidate of the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), told Stern magazine that Wednesday, when Scholz is planning to make a government address, "would be a good opportunity for this." Merz also heads the CDU-CSU parliamentary group

Scholz notes that as chancellor, he would have to formally initiate this step. But he says he would honour any agreement between the parliamentary group heads of his Social Democrats (SPD) and the CDU.

However, the necessary democratic steps and technical preparations for a proper new election must always be taken into account, Scholz said.

"None of us, not you, not me, not anyone else, wants anything to happen, like in Berlin, where we have to repeat elections," the chancellor said, pointing to a 2021 fiasco which required local elections in the capital to be partially repeated.

Scholz defends his administration

Scholz also denied the accusation that he deliberately forced the break-up of his governing three-way coalition.

"I did not provoke it," Scholz told talk show host Caren Miosga, saying he fought until the end to keep the three-party constellation of SPD, Greens and FDP together, but that it was ultimately impossible.

"I put up with the fact that I kept putting on a good face for the sake of compromise and cooperation, sometimes even playing a pretty nasty game. But when it's over, it over," Scholz said.

Scholz not only defended his actions but said he was instrumental in keeping the coalition going as long as it did.

"Without my repeated efforts to achieve cooperation and compromise, the government would not have lasted this long. It wouldn't even have been formed."

The chancellor also defended his public, personal reckoning with Christian Lindner, head of the pro-business FDP, who had served as Scholz's finance minister, until Scholz fired him last week, prompting the coalition's collapse.

"It was decent, clear and straightforward and very understandable for all citizens," he said of his break with Lindner, noting there had been many calls for him to put his foot down.

Chancellor says he's more level-headed than Merz

Scholz remains untroubled by the prospect of an election campaign against the Merz, saying he is more level-headed than his opponent and predicted a comeback for the SPD.

"I find myself a bit cooler when it comes to matters of state - to put it as politely as I can manage right now," Scholz told Miosga. He also said he and Merz have very different political goals.

But the biggest differences between him and Merz have to do with character and temperament, the chancellor said.

So far the polls have not agreed, with the SPD some 15 to 18 percentage points behind the CDU-CSU. But Scholz seemed unconcerned.

"That's a very recoverable margin," the chancellor said.

Unlike Merz, Scholz has not yet been officially nominated as his party's chancellor candidate. However, he told Miosga, that he had no doubt he would be selected.

Photo: EPA