Germany is preparing for new elections in February. Formally, however, the federal government and the Bundestag continue to exist even after the traffic light coalition has broken down. In order to clear the way for the planned early federal elections, the Chancellor has asked Bundestag President Bärbel Bas for a vote of confidence. The Bundestag is therefore meeting today to decide whether the parliamentary groups will still express their confidence in the Chancellor - this is neither likely nor intended by the government. In his statement on the vote of confidence, Scholz addresses various issues that he is already taking into the election campaign. For example, he advocates an increase in the minimum wage to 15 euros an hour, calls for a reform of the debt brake and reaffirms his commitment to Europe and support for Ukraine. After his statement, there will be a debate in parliament. Then the vote itself will follow - if the majority of MPs do not express their confidence in the Chancellor, Federal President Steinmeier will probably dissolve the Bundestag and the new election can take place as planned on February 23, 2025. Watch the entire Bundestag session here in the live stream. You can find more on the topic on ZEIT ONLINE. Our live blog: https://t1p.de/n6ax4 Everything about the 2025 federal election: https://t1p.de/oc8yo Please understand that it is not possible for us to moderate the comments under all news videos. For this reason, we generally switch off the comment function for news videos. You can find ZEIT ONLINE explainer videos on political, scientific and social topics here: • ZEIT ONLINE explainer You can see background information, impressions and personal stories in the documentaries and reports from ZEIT ONLINE: • Documentaries & reports from ZEIT ONLINE #bundestag #olafscholz #vertrauensfrage #neuwahlen #zeitonline