German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday ordered parliament dissolved and set new elections for Feb. 23 in the wake of the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition, saying it was the only way to give the country a stable government capable of tackling its problems.

The campaign is well underway, with polls showing Scholz’s party trailing the conservative opposition Union bloc led by Friedrich Merz.

Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has dissolved parliament and set the date for the country's snap elections as February 23. He announced on Friday that he had done this at Chancellor Olaf Scholz's request,