Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Jun 21, 2025

Calls for Merkel to face vote of no confidence after embarrassing U-turn on Covid-19 Easter lockdown

Calls for Merkel to face vote of no confidence after embarrassing U-turn on Covid-19 Easter lockdown

German politicians have called for Chancellor Angela Merkel to face a vote of no confidence after she admitted her “mistake” and pulled the plug on harsh Covid-19 restrictions planned for the Easter holiday.
Members of the Bundestag could soon be asked to vote on whether the chancellor has their support after a number of eager politicians jumped to capitalize on a rare case of an admitted misjudgment by the country’s long-standing leader.

On Wednesday, the leader of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), Christian Lindner, tweeted his call “to examine the ability of the government of Merkel to act,” saying that “the Chancellor can no longer be sure of the unanimous support of her coalition.”

Lindner’s colleague, FDP Vice President and Bundestag Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki, reiterated the party’s call, telling Bild: “I call on the Chancellor to face a vote of no confidence… because she has not only admitted her own inability, but the lack of competence of her Minister Altmaier and Spahn is obvious.”

“She has obviously lost the trust of part of her coalition factions,” Kubicki added.

The demand was echoed by Germany’s democratic socialists, with Dietmar Bartsch, head of the Die Linke (The Left) party, telling Funke media group: “We now have a veritable crisis of confidence in the political leadership of the country.” Bartsch complemented his call for a vote of no confidence by labelling Merkel’s government “amateurish”.v

Earlier on Wednesday, Merkel backtracked on heavily criticized plans to introduce a tough five-day lockdown over the course of the Easter weekend, admitting "this mistake is my mistake alone.”

The planned restrictions would have seen businesses closed, supermarkets reduced to opening for just one day during the period and a ban on private gatherings of more than five adults from two different households. Merkel also called for Easter church services to be conducted virtually.

The chancellor’s now-scrapped plans were a response to soaring Covid-19 infections, fueled by the more contagious British variant. On Monday, the infection rate stood at 107 per 100,000, nearly double the rate of three weeks ago.

Merkel’s center-right party has taken a hit in opinion polls in recent weeks, with the lead of the the CDU/CSU alliance dropping to less than 10%, according to most pollsters.

Nevertheless, Merkel’s work continues to be rated positively by German voters. The Insa survey, commissioned by the tabloid Bild in March, suggested 53.5% rate her work as very good or rather good, giving her a net positive rating of 19.4%.

Previous calls for Merkel to face a vote of no confidence have not been fruitful for her opposition.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
×