BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the results of two regional elections that saw big wins for the far-right AfD and losses for his coalition "bitter" and urged mainstream parties to ...

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had hoped for this outcome when he called for the confidence vote, analysts say. His aim: to win fresh elections in February and come back with a stronger mandate.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrives at the lower house of parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, on Dec. 16, 2024, to hear whether the parliament will rescind its confidence vote.

German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz arrives for a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the chancellery in Berlin, Thursday, Nov.7, 2024.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany called a confidence vote in the German Parliament on Monday. He lost by a tally of 394-207, with 116 abstaining.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner, signaling a collapse of the three-party coalition governing Germany. Opposition leaders are calling for quick elections.

Scholz, of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), said he had fired his finance minister, Lindner of the fiscally conservative Free Democrats (FDP), for obstructing a resolution of budget disputes.