Germany's ruling coalition collapsed on Wednesday as Chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked his finance minister and paved the way for a snap election, triggering political chaos in Europe's largest economy hours after Donald Trump won the U.

Germany's center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Wednesday he was firing Finance Minister Christian Lindner, signaling the collapse of the ruling three-party coalition that relied on Lindner's pro-business party.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner, the head of a party that is part of Berlin’s three-party coalition. The decision strips the ruling traffic light coalition of its majority, and raises the possibility of an early election.

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday he would call a confidence vote on January 15, which could pave the way for a snap federal election in March. (Reporting by Sarah Marsh and Thomas Escritt, writing by Matthias Williams, editing by Thomas Seythal)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday amid a deep coalition crisis that he will seek a vote of confidence in January that would pave the way for early elections by March.

Germany entered a major political crisis on Wednesday with the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's ruling coalition likely paving the way for early elections next year.Scholz and his mutinous coalition partners have drawn withering fire from Merz,

Chancellor Olaf Scholz said trust has been broken with Germany's finance minister, Christian Lindner, in a move that paves the way for snap elections.

The German parliament is to decide on the government's future in a vote of confidence on January 15, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced. The move comes after days of crisis talks among Scholz's coalition of Social Democrats,