Olaf Scholz, Germany's least popular chancellor on record, is facing growing calls within his Social Democrats (SPD) to step aside and let his Defence Minister Boris Pistorius instead lead the centre-left party into next year's federal election.

At their weekend convention, the Greens are set to confirm Robert Habeck as their top candidate, elect two new party leaders and map out a course to continue promoting their progressive policies.

Opposition parties and businesses in Germany have called for new elections to be held as soon as possible after the three-way coalition government collapsed, plunging the country into political turmoil. They are urging an immediate vote of confidence in chancellor Olaf Scholz ’s coalition “by the beginning of next week at the latest”.