Euronews Editor-in-Chief Claus Strunz gives his view on the collapse of Germany's coalition government, after Chancellor Olaf Scholz dimissed his Finance Minister and set a no-confidence vote for early next year.
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00:00Good day, we are here with Klaus Struntz, chief editor at Euronews.
00:12Good day.
00:13You have worked as a journalist in Berlin for 20 years.
00:18The end of the Ampel coalition, possible new elections in 2025.
00:23There have been problems for a long time.
00:26Why the divorce now?
00:28I think most Germans think it's finally over.
00:32Because in the last weeks and months it was a catastrophic representation of the government.
00:38Bad craft, bad sales, bad decisions.
00:42It was finally time to make a decision.
00:44And that's what Chancellor Olaf Scholz did yesterday.
00:47He dismissed his finance minister Christian Lindner.
00:50That's a pretty unique act.
00:52After that he also insulted him.
00:54That's an even more unique act.
00:56And with that, the worst government in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany is now over.
01:03Will the government crisis be a bad time for Europe?
01:08After Trump's re-election.
01:10Yes, the answer is clearly yes.
01:12This total collapse of the German government is at the same time a heart attack for Europe.
01:19Because the most important power, the strongest partner, the most reliable partner is now in its weakest situation.
01:26All European partners, all partners worldwide.
01:30Also the new American president Donald Trump.
01:33They will ask themselves, can I rely on this chancellor and this government?
01:39With them it's over anyway.
01:41With them it's over.
01:43It's just a matter of weeks and months.
01:45Is Germany still the reliable partner?
01:48And the answer from a political point of view is, of course Germany is a reliable partner.
01:53But the acting people are just a few weeks and months in the game.
01:58And that's the weakest situation you can imagine.
02:01Germany and the USA are decisive supporters of the Ukrainians.
02:05What are the consequences of the new situation for Kyiv?
02:10Yes, short-term today and tomorrow none.
02:12The chancellor has determined, and it was important for him to mention, that the support will remain.
02:19And that nothing will change here.
02:21But the question is, can he still enforce all that he intends to do now?
02:25And he himself seems to believe that.
02:27Because from my point of view he made the wrong decision to stay in office.
02:32Instead of immediately stepping back or immediately freeing the way for new elections.
02:37To give the people in Germany the opportunity to decide how they want Germany to be governed in the future.
02:44No, Olaf Scholz still wants to go on.
02:47Until Christmas he still wants to pass laws.
02:51And then only on January 15th he wants to ask the so-called question of trust.
02:56What does it mean that by the end of March next year, March 2025, how long that is, will be elected?
03:04And until then Germany is not a strong partner in Europe, but the weakling in Europe.
03:11The society in the USA is very divided. Is this also the case in Germany?
03:19The phenomenon of the complete division of our societies is, in principle, due to large parts of the western world.
03:26America is the largest and now by election also the most famous example.
03:31But also in Europe we see this tendency in many countries and also in Germany.
03:36That is why the parties that are not in the government right now benefit from this step that Olaf Scholz has now taken.
03:44And they will now stand up to achieve better results in the next year with possible new elections than they had.
03:52And this can result in a completely changed political landscape in Germany.
03:57And this, in turn, has great significance for the radiance to Europe and for the role of Germany in Europe and for the politics of Germany in Europe.
04:06Which party benefits from Linus Schacksog?
04:10I would say that the AfD benefits the most.
04:13Because the goal of the AfD, a far-right party in the political spectrum, has always been to destroy this government.
04:22This is a legitimate goal of an opposition.
04:25But in Germany there are very, very many critical voices that say that if the AfD gets stronger and stronger,
04:32then in Germany the entire political climate, the entire position of Germany will change.
04:38Especially what Germany stands for.
04:40This worries many people.
04:42But it also gives hope to many people who wish for a change and not a continuous search.