Germany coalition: Government on brink of collapse after key minister fired

Germany's governing coalition is in crisis after Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired a key minister and said he would call a vote of confidence in his government early next year.

Scholz said he had no trust in Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who leads a rival party that has been part of the coalition along with Scholz's Social Democrats and the Greens.

The move means Scholz's government no longer has a majority in parliament. The confidence vote could lead to early elections by March.

The so-called "traffic light" coalition led by the chancellor has governed Germany since 2021.

But internal tensions had been bubbling for weeks before exploding into the open on Wednesday night.