German President Approves Date for Snap Parl. Election

"Based on a current assessment," Steinmeier "considered February 23 as a realistic date for new elections," a presidential spokeswoman told journalists, TASS reported.

Prior to this, Steinmeier met with the leaders of the leaders of ruling parliamentary groups, Rolf Mutzenich of the Social Democratic Party, Britta Hasselmann and Katharina Droege of the Green Party, and Friedrich Merz, the leader of the faction of the opposition bloc of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU).