German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismisses finance minister, dissolves coalition government

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner, ending the three-party coalition government. This decision follows weeks of disputes among Scholz’s Social Democrats, Lindner’s Free Democrats, and the Greens. Lindner had advocated for significant economic reforms but faced resistance from the coalition partners. He expressed frustration over a lack of agreement on financial issues and hinted at the possibility of new elections in early 2025. If the coalition remains dissolved, the Social Democrats and the Greens will likely govern as a minority until the next election scheduled for September 2025.