German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner, paving the way for a confidence vote by parliament in January that is expected to lead to early elections next March.
The far-right Alternative for Germany won a state election for the first time Sunday in the country's east, and was set to finish at least a very close second in a second vote, projections showed.
Social Democratic politician Olaf Scholz takes over from center-right Angela Merkel as chancellor to lead a coalition of three different parties in government.
Social Democratic Party leader Olaf Scholz, the front-runner in the polls to succeed German Chancellor Angela Merkel, is credited for transforming Hamburg when he was the city's mayor.
A Syrian refugee in Germany withdrew his bid for parliament over racist threats last month. The news came in the same week that a German comedian appeared on TV in blackface.
