Germany's Free Democratic Party (FDP) is withdrawing all its ministers from the coalition government, the leader of the party's parliamentary group, Christian Dürr, said last night, as quoted by DPA.
The decision came after Chancellor Olaf Scholz last night fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who is also the SDP leader, after weeks of disagreement over the government's economic policy.
Scholz also announced that he would seek a vote of no confidence over the future of the center-left government on January 15, a move expected to pave the way for snap elections in March, the DPA said.
Dürr said four ministers in the SDP government would jointly hand in their resignations to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, effectively breaking up the three-party coalition with Germany's Social Democrats and Scholz's Green Party.
Durr pointed out that the coalition government had failed to take important decisions regarding the economy and added that the chancellor's proposals were not enough to revive the German economy.
Now important decisions for the country are in the hands of voters, he added.
Dürr promised that SDP deputies would continue to work constructively until the next elections and discuss specific issues with all democratic parliamentary groups.
/VS/