German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, and the faction leader of the German Christian Democratic party (CDU), Friedrich Merz, right, shake hands before a questioning during a meeting of the German federal parliament, Bundestag, at the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrives for the cabinet meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)