section_path: Background/Snap election
section_name: Snap election
paragraph_text: Snap election
  
  Federal elections can be held earlier if the president dissolves the Bundestag and schedules a snap election. They may only do so under two scenarios described by the Basic Law:
  
  In both cases, federal elections would have to be held on a Sunday or national holiday no later than 60 days after the dissolution.
  
  Following a government crisis, Olaf Scholz dismissed FDP leader Christian Lindner from the incumbent government on 6 November 2024, triggering the collapse of the traffic light coalition and leaving the government without a majority. On the same day, Chancellor Scholz announced he would submit a motion of confidence to hold a snap election; this was initially planned for January 2025 for a late March election but was brought forward after pressure from the opposition.
  
  Scholz submitted a motion of confidence to the Bundestag on 11 December 2024, which was brought to a vote on 16 December. The motion required an absolute majority of 367 yes votes to pass. This was not achieved, with 207 yes votes, 394 no votes, 116 abstentions, and 16 absent or not voting. Of those members who were present and voting, the SPD group unanimously voted for confidence, while all opposition groups except for three members from the AfD voted against confidence. All Green members abstained to ensure the motion would fail without voting against its coalition.
  
  After the vote's failure, Scholz went to Bellevue Palace to meet with President Steinmeier and recommend a dissolution. The governing parties and the CDU/CSU agreed that 23 February 2025 should be the date for the snap election. The president is not obliged to grant a dissolution, and the Basic Law allows him 21 days to decide. The president also has the sole authority to set the election date, though he agreed with the parties' proposal. Steinmeier first held discussions with all party leaders, as he has a constitutional duty to determine whether there is any possible majority in the current Bundestag. On 20 December, Steinmeier's office released a statement confirming that the talks were completed and that there was no possible majority. Steinmeier officially dissolved the Bundestag on 27 December, at the same time setting the election date as 23 February.