Morning coverage focused on Scholz's ARD interview, where he showed openness to a confidence vote before Christmas, marking his first position shift of the day. By noon, he rejected Wednesday's vote possibility, while economists published harsh critiques of the Ampel coalition's three-year performance.
Reports emerged of North Korean troops joining Russian forces near Kursk, with US responding through increased Stryker tank deliveries to Ukraine. The afternoon brought revelation that Scholz had considered a confidence vote already in July, while disputes intensified about election timing logistics.
Evening coverage centered on Merz's proposal of two specific election dates, followed by his subsequent retraction. Meanwhile, the SPD's internal discussions about replacing Scholz with Pistorius as chancellor candidate emerged, marking Scholz's third significant position shift of the day through his unexpected outreach to Trump regarding Ukraine policy.