German Chancellor Fires Finance Minister, Coalition Teeters

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a big move on Wednesday. He fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner. This decision could cause Germany's coalition government to collapse. Scholz said he had to do this to protect the country. The trouble started after Lindner wrote an 18-page economic paper. It was called "Germany's economic turnaround. " This paper caused arguments among the coalition partners. They have different ideas about the future of Germany's economy.After Lindner's party left the coalition, Scholz decided to call a confidence vote for January 15. If he loses, elections could happen by the end of March next year. Scholz wants to keep working until then. He plans to talk to the opposition leader to pass important laws. Scholz and Lindner criticized each other in separate press conferences. Scholz said Lindner wasn't willing to work with them. Lindner said Scholz rejected his idea for early elections. The far-right party, AfD, welcomed the news. They think the end of the coalition is good for Germany.