Scholz has set his own timetable, which he announced on Wednesday evening and intends to stick to. He does not want to call a confidence vote until January 15 and will continue with a minority government consisting of the SPD and the Greens until then. “The government is doing its job, it will continue to do so in the coming weeks and months and the citizens will soon have the opportunity to decide how things will continue,” he said Thursday morning.

Important political projects are still in the pipeline: Tax relief for medium and low-income earners is on the agenda, as well as SPD-Greens plans to bolster the statutory pension system.

Also on the list is a reform of immigration and asylum policies, with Scholz intending to rapidly implement the rules of the Common European Asylum System.