While the world has been watching Washington, Germany is quietly going into political meltdown. This is a very German crisis involving coalition infighting and complicated constitutional questions. But behind the complex political wrangling,

Germany's conservative opposition heaped pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz's crisis-hit government Thursday to allow for speedy elections by calling a confidence vote next week rather than next year.

After decades of relative stability, the country has entered a new era of political fragmentation and will hold new elections at a precarious time.