German government falls apart: What's next for Europe's biggest economy?

German three-party coalition breaks down after economic disputes‚ just as Trump wins re-election. Early elections expected by spring‚ with Christian Democrats leading polls and promising stronger leadership

November 7 2024 , 07:42 PM  •  106509 views

German government falls apart: What's next for Europe's biggest economy?

The German governments three-party alliance has crumbled due to economic policy clashes‚ marking a critical shift in European politics. The break-up comes right after Trumps win which adds extra weight to this political shake-up

The now-defunct coalition led by Olaf Scholz showed its worst side in recent months: coalition members fought about EU decisions Ukraine support and China-related policies. Their team-work was so bad that Germany couldnt even vote properly in EU meetings because they didnt agree on basic stuff

On the Ukraine front‚ Germany has been a big helper (being second after US in total aid) but something wasnt right. Scholz kept saying no to sending long-range Taurus missiles – even though other countries sent similar weapons. The budget for 2025 shows less money for Ukraine which doesnt look good

  • Defense spending hit NATOʼs 2% target
  • Special fund runs dry by 2027
  • No clear plan for future funding
  • Failed to fix army personnel issues

The most popular person in German politics‚ Defense Minister Boris Pistorius‚ says theres not enough cash for basic stuff; meanwhile Christian Lindner (who got fired on 11/06) was always saying no to EU investment plans

Stop attacking Ukrainian civilian infrastructure within 24 hours‚ or Germany will deliver Taurus missiles

Christian Democrat leader Friedrich Merz to Putin

Looking ahead‚ polls show Friedrich Merz and his Christian Democrats might team up with Social Democrats by spring. Merz seems more serious about helping Ukraine and might loosen up some budget rules that stopped Germany from doing more in defense