The decision follows a budget fight that prompted Chancellor Olaf Scholz to fire his finance minister and announce a confidence vote that is widely expected to fail.

Germany is headed for snap elections on Feb. 23, the main parties agreed Tuesday, aiming to form a stable government after Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition collapsed last week. The country's two biggest parties agreed on the early timetable,

Germany is set to hold fresh elections on February 23, eleven weeks after the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's governing coalition, with sources on Tuesday saying the Social Democrats, Greens and conservatives had reached a compromise on timing.