German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will face a confidence vote at the Bundestag in the upcoming December, Rolf Muetzenich, head of the ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD) parliamentary group, announced on Tuesday.
According to the agreement reached among Germany's main political parties, the date of the confidence vote is set for Dec 16.
In addition, the SPD has also reached an agreement with opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) to hold a snap federal election on Feb 23, 2025, which advanced the election date from originally scheduled Sept 28.
The decisions came amid a political crisis within the ruling coalition. Earlier this month, the coalition of the SPD, the Greens, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) failed to agree on budgetary issues.
As a result, Scholz on last Wednesday dismissed Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who is also the FDP leader. In response, the FDP announced its withdrawal from the coalition government, indicating the collapse of the Scholz-led ruling coalition.
This means that the government is in a minority at the Bundestag and has to seek the support of other parties at the Bundestag to get any policy passed.
Should Scholz fail the confidence vote, the president could dissolve the parliament within 21 days. Snap elections will have to take place within 60 days of the dissolution.
German Chancellor to face confidence vote in December
German Chancellor to face confidence vote in December
German Chancellor to face confidence vote in December
China's first commercial spacecraft launch site marked its dual-pad readiness for future missions on Wednesday, with a group of 18 low Earth orbit satellites being launched aboard the Long March-8 Y6 carrier rocket.
The satellite group was launched from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province at 00:38 Wednesday.
The satellites, the fifth group of its kind, have entered the preset orbit successfully, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). They will constitute China's commercial internet constellation Spacesail.
This mission marks the inaugural launch from the site's No. 1 launch pad, which, following the inaugural launch from the No. 2 pad on Nov. 30, 2024, signifies the dual-pad readiness of China's first commercial spaceport for future missions.
The No. 1 launch pad, standing 83 meters tall, is tailored for the Long March-8 rocket. It features a modular steel structure design and employs a dual-direction flame deflection cone for cooling and noise reduction for the first time, enhancing rapid reuse capabilities.
The launch pad now supports a seven-day launch and seven-day reset cycle, crucial for meeting surging launch demands.
The construction of the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site commenced in July 2022. It completed its first launch mission in November 2024.
Now it is advancing the construction of the phase II project.
The Long March-8 rocket, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology under the CASC, is a medium-lift liquid-fueled rocket optimized for cost-effective, multi-satellite launches to low- and medium-Earth orbits.
The mission marks the 563rd flight of the Long March rocket family, the pillar of China's space transport system.
China's first commercial spacecraft launch site marks dual-pad readiness with launch of 18 satellites
