A SPD member, new Finance Minister Kukies is a member is seen as a close advisor to Scholz and until now served as a state secretary in the Federal Chancellery focusing on economic, finance and European affairs.

He has previously held a state sectary role within the federal Finance Ministry and worked for Goldman Sachs in Frankfurt and London.

He will face a full agenda, as the German government grapples to agree a contentious 2025 budget that was a key factor in the coalition’s dissolution. The budget was set to be finalized in mid-November prior to the shake-up — but it was not immediately clear whether this timeline could, or would, now change.

Following the events of Wednesday, Scholz said he would call for a vote of confidence in himself on Jan. 15, which opens the door for an early federal election by the end of March next year. An electoral vote was originally scheduled to be held in the fall of 2025.

Pressure for Scholz to table such a vote sooner picked up on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference earlier in the session, Lindner called for an immediate confidence vote and for fresh elections. Latest polls show Linder’s FDP below the 5% threshold they would need to cross in an election to enter the German parliament.

His comments echo those of opposition leader Friedrich Merz, part of the Christian democratic party (CDU) that is currently leading in polls. In a press conference, Merz said a confidence vote should be held as soon as next week and that there was “no reason at all” to wait until January.