Germany will not be short of paper if snap elections are called early in the new year, the head of the country’s paper-making industry said.
When asked by ZDFheute.de, the online service of a national public broadcaster, whether there would be enough for election documentation if elections were held in January, Alexander von Reibnitz said: “Clear answer: yes.”
Provided the order came in on time, all the paper needed for early parliamentary elections could be delivered, von Reibnitz said in the article published on Saturday.
On Friday, Federal Returning Officer Ruth Brand called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz not to be too hasty in calling elections as the Christmas holidays approach.
This could be risky on organizational grounds, including when purchasing paper and using printing companies, she writes in a letter.
Following the collapse of his three-party coalition, Scholz indicated he was open to a discussion about the date on which parliament could hold a vote of confidence – a precursor to new elections – after initially expressing a preference for January 15.
Scholz wants parliament to pass a number of urgent laws by the end of the year, before the election process gets underway. But the conservative opposition is insisting that the confidence vote take place earlier.
