The move comes as Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost control of his majority coalition in November after he fired his finance minister over disagreements on how to revitalize the country’s economy.

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Scholz lost a confidence vote on Dec. 16 and now leads a minority government. The new elections would allow for Scholz’s party to have a chance to take power or allow a new majority government to rule.

“It is precisely in difficult times like these that stability requires a government capable of taking action and a reliable majority in parliament,” he said.

“Therefore I am convinced that for the good of our country new elections are the right way.”

One party that could take advantage of the new elections is Alternative for Germany (AFD), who currently holds 76 seats in the 733 seat chamber. The party has gained attention in recent weeks after Elon Musk voiced his support for them.

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“The traditional political parties in Germany have utterly failed the people,” Musk posted on X last week. “AfD is the only hope for Germany.”

The populist, anti-immigration party has been accused by its critics of right wing extremism. The leader of the Free Democratic Party, Christian Lindner, responded to Musk’s praise saying that while “migration control” is critical for Germany, “AfD stands against freedom, business – and it’s a far-right extremist party.”

AFD leader Alice Weidel is the party’s nominee for chancellor in the elections. Weidel called irregular migration to Germany “the source of all evil” earlier this month. The party is also strongly pro-life while being staunchly anti-Islam.

Those stances have been a recipe for opposition to Weidel’s party. Other political parties in the country have said they will not form a government with the AFD, refusing them power if they do win in February’s elections.

It would force AFD, which is polling the second-strongest of Germany’s political parties with 19% support, to capture an unlikely majority.

Germany’s current political leaders are worried that Musk’s statements about the party constitute election interference, though he’s also expressed support for the GOP and the United Kingdom‘s Reform Party.

Nevertheless, the German people will vote in late February to see who can handle the country’s issues — immigration, the economy, and the nearby war in Ukraine — best.