The German government is torn apart by irreconcilable differences over economic policy. international

The German Chancellor, Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, expelled four liberal ministers this Wednesday, including finance chief Christian Lindner. Scholz thus causes the breakup of the tripartite coalition he also forms with environmentalists. Lindner’s demands for changes in economic policy including spending cuts have caused a crisis that could lead to a minority government or possibly new elections in March.

The news, which leaked to the press shortly before 9:00 pm, came at the end of a meeting between coalition leaders. There had been speculation for several days in Berlin about the possible collapse of the traffic light coalition, named after the color of its components: red, green and yellow. But Donald Trump’s victory in Tuesday’s elections in the United States has fueled speculation that a decision might take longer, as a change in the White House would be unwise to trigger a period of instability in Europe’s leading economy. It was no longer so.

At the Chancellery meeting, Lindner proposed early elections and Scholz considered that the challenges from the Liberals, the junior partner in the coalition, were too much. and said Sufficient,

“Scholz understood that Lindner was a player and that he could not guarantee the stability of the government with such a partner,” Social Democratic deputy Nils Schmid told EL PAÍS upon hearing the news. “It’s a sign of the Chancellor’s leadership, because he didn’t let Lindner get away with it,” he concluded.

(Breaking news. Will expand soon)