GERMAN President Frank-Walter Steinmeier ordered the dissolution of parliament today and set new elections for February 23 following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s governing coalition.

Mr Scholz lost a confidence vote on December 16 and leads a minority government after his unpopular three-party coalition fell apart on November 6 when he sacked finance minister Christian Lindner in a dispute over tackling Germany’s stagnant economy.

Leaders of several major parties then agreed that a parliamentary election should be held on February 23, seven months earlier than originally planned.