German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has lost a no-confidence vote in parliament, paving the way for its dissolution and fresh national elections, Report informs via Euronews.
Scholz gained 207 votes in the 733-seat parliament, nowhere near the 367 majority he needed to hold onto power.
The former leader was widely expected to lose the vote, which was held after the government's acrimonious three-way coalition collapsed in spectacular fashion over deep divisions in fiscal policy.
Scholz himself supported an early general election, but speculation was rife ahead of the vote that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party had plans to sabotage an early election by voting for Scholz to stay against his will.
President President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is now set to decide whether or not to dissolve parliament. Once dissolved, an election must be held within 60 days.
The no confidence vote is only the sixth in the country's post-war history. It comes at a time when Germany's economy is suffering from two years of poor growth and Europe braces for the inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump in the US, who has promised sweeping changes to US foreign policy.