Crisis-hit Germany headed for February 23 snap election

Berlin: Germany is headed for snap elections on February 23, the main parties agreed on Tuesday, aiming to form a stable government after Chancellor O...

Berlin: Germany is headed for snap elections on February 23, the main parties agreed on Tuesday, aiming to form a stable government after Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition collapsed last week.

The country's two biggest parties agreed on the early timetable, which will see centre-left leader Scholz seek a vote of confidence on December 16.

This would pave the way for the February vote in a compromise his Social Democrats (SPD) hammered out with the conservative opposition Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian allies CSU.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier later said he backed the timeline and deemed the targeted date "realistic".

The head of state urged all mainstream parties to cooperate responsibly until then to "to ensure Germany's internal and external security and international reliability in this transitional phase".