Germany: Scholz joins EU leaders after coalition collapse

Chancellor Olaf Scholz focused on foreign issues speaking at an EU meeting in Budapest after the unraveling of his coalition at home. The leader of the opposition repeated a call for an early vote around the same time.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz belatedly joined his European colleagues in Budapest for their first talks since news of both Donald Trump's election win in the United States and the sudden prospect of early elections in Germany. 

Back in Berlin, opposition CDU leader Friedrich Merz repeated a call for Scholz to call a confidence vote much earlier than his suggested target of January 15. 

Lawmakers at the Bundestag are set to debate the week's developments later on Friday. 

When Germany might vote in light of the collapse of the coalition between Scholz's Social Democrats, the Greens, and the neoliberal Free Democrats is not yet clear. 

Keep reading for the latest developments in the German government crisis from Friday, November 8: