Scholz delivers plea for German unity ahead of confidence Vote

The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has defended his decision to oust his finance minister, which has led to the breakup of his government, arguing that to have kept the alliance going would have been at the expense of national stability and international security.

- Kate Connolly

Scholz used his first speech to parliament since his coalition lost its majority, after the departure of the pro-business FDP from government, to plead for national cohesion. He called on opposition parties to support his minority government in the months before early elections to prevent Germany from becoming as polarised as the US.

"The times in which we live are darned rough," Scholz said. "We are better off when we stick together - when we can still look each other in the eye even after an argument." He added: "There is no democracy without compromises."

He urged the opposition conservatives to support legislative goals that his administration still hopes to get through "for the good of the nation".