German voters fend off far-right in latest state vote, early results suggest
NBCSEP 2024
Germany Faces Snap Election as Coalition Govt Collapses
Above: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Image copyright: Sean Gallup/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Scholz's brand of selfishness is utterly incomprehensible. Germany can't afford a months-long political deadlock. With a flatlining economy, shortage of skilled labor, aging infrastructure, and an unprepared military, Germans need a stable, responsible, and decisive government — one that has a majority in the Bundestag and can act quickly.
Narrative B
Scholz would have liked to have spared Germans this difficult situation, but he was compelled to sack Lindner to prevent damage to the country. Given the surge in support for fringe parties in recent regional polls, an immediate election would throw Europe's largest economy into a prolonged period of uncertainty.