REUTERSGermany's opposition conservatives urged Chancellor Olaf Scholz to allow a vote of confidence immediately and hold elections in January, the day after his rocky three-way coalition collapsed and plunged the country into political turmoil. The chancellor said he would hold a confidence vote in January, which he would likely lose, triggering new elections by the end of March - six months ahead of elections originally scheduled for September. Joerg Kukies, a top official in the German chancellery and close SPD ally of Scholz, will be named finance minister, a government spokesperson said on Thursday. German industry, reeling from high costs and fierce Asian competition, also urged Berlin on Thursday to hold snap elections as soon as possible. Merz said he would urge Scholz to speed up the confidence vote in his meeting with him scheduled for midday.
