Germany’s parliament will hold a second vote on Tuesday on backing Friedrich Merz as chancellor after the veteran conservative failed to secure enough support in a first round, throwing politics in Europe’s largest economy into disarray.
The Bundestag lower house is set to reconvene around 1515 local (1415 GMT) to hold a second vote on Merz, said Jens Spahn, parliamentary group leader of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc.
“All of Europe — perhaps even the whole world — is watching this second round of voting,” Spahn said. “I appeal to everyone to be aware of this special responsibility.”
Merz, 69, who led his conservatives to a federal election victory in February and has signed a coalition deal with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), won just 310 votes in the Bundestag, six short of an absolute majority. At least 18 coalition lawmakers failed to back him.
While not a fatal setback, Merz’s failure to win backing at the first attempt is a first for post-war Germany and an embarrassment for a man who has promised to restore German leadership on the world stage.
Most immediately, it threw into doubt the trips Merz had planned to France and Poland on Wednesday as the new chancellor.
“The whole of Europe looked to Berlin today in the hope that Germany would reassert itself as an anchor of stability and a pro-European powerhouse,” said Jana Puglierin, head of the Berlin office of the European Council on Foreign Relations think-tank. “That hope has been dashed. With consequences way beyond our borders.”
Nine lawmakers did not cast their ballot and three abstained, while 307 voted against Merz, said Bundestag President Julia Kloeckner.
“I am convinced that the problem will be solved quickly and that Merz will be chancellor,” Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani was quoted as saying by AGI news agency.
“Germany’s stability is also crucial to prevent the rise of populism.”
(REUTERS)
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