German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a no-confidence vote in the Parliament on Monday, triggering its dissolution and paving the way for snap elections in February.
During the confidence vote, Scholz received backing from 207 members of parliament, while 394 opposed him, and 116 chose to abstain. The chancellor did not secure the necessary majority, which required a minimum of 367 votes.
Following the firing of his finance minister Christian Lindner in November, the Free Democratic Party (FDP) withdrew from the ruling tripartite coalition. The country will likely head to elections on February 23, seven months before originally slated.