Merz gets chosen to be German chancellor in second attempt
(MENAFN) Friedrich Merz has officially become Germany’s new chancellor after securing enough support in a second parliamentary vote on Tuesday. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader initially fell short by six votes in the first round, failing to reach the necessary 316-vote majority in the Bundestag. However, after several hours of urgent political negotiations and procedural adjustments, Merz won the second vote with 325 votes in favor.
This marks a historic moment in post-war German politics, as it’s the first time a chancellor candidate has failed in an initial vote despite having a coalition agreement in place.
Merz faced 289 votes against him, mainly from the Green and Left parties. To expedite the process, four parliamentary factions agreed to temporarily revise voting procedures between the rounds, following closed-door discussions.
CDU/CSU parliamentary leader Jens Spahn emphasized the global attention on the outcome, urging lawmakers to recognize their “special responsibility.”
Following Merz’s initial setback, critics like AfD's Bernd Baumann called it a historic defeat, while Green Party MP Renate Kuenast and Left Party leader Christian Goerke viewed it as a blow to his authority, citing weaknesses in the CDU-SPD coalition agreement.
The CDU’s new partnership with the Social Democrats comes after the collapse of Germany’s previous three-party coalition last November. The new government has pledged to maintain core policies of former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, including military spending increases and continued support for Ukraine.
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