Editorial: La Vanguardia

• German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, deliberately initiated a vote of no confidence in the Bundestag with an aim to lose and thereby call for early elections on February 23.
• The vote of no confidence is as a result of the break-up of the coalition between the Social Democrats, Greens, and liberals.
• The conservative bloc consisting of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) leads the polls.
• Ukraine, the management of the economic crisis and social justice will be the main issues in the election campaign.
• Scholz has outlined a number of urgent measures to support citizens in the lead up to the election.
• Political instability in Germany and polarization make it almost impossible to govern at a critical moment for the European economy.

Conclusion: Scholz's strategic move to face the confidence vote and push for early elections is an attempt to leverage the current crisis and polarization to seek a stronger mandate at a critical juncture for Germany and Europe.

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