Germany’s conservative leader Friedrich Merz has suffered a historic political setback after falling short of the required parliamentary support to become chancellor, despite his coalition holding a majority in the Bundestag.
In a dramatic vote on Tuesday, Merz received only 310 votes — six short of the 316 needed to secure an absolute majority in the 630-seat lower house. The result marks the first time since 1949 that a chancellor candidate has failed to win a majority in the initial vote, delivering a major blow to the Christian Democrat (CDU) leader just two and a half months after his federal election victory.
Although the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) signed a coalition agreement with the conservatives on Monday, it appears that as many as 18 MPs who were expected to support Merz withheld their backing, throwing the coalition’s stability into question.
The Bundestag now enters a 14-day period to vote again on either Merz or an alternative candidate. While Germany’s constitution allows for unlimited voting rounds, if no majority emerges, the president may appoint a minority chancellor or call fresh elections.
The failed vote is widely seen as a humiliation for Merz, who had sought to restore strength and cohesion following the collapse of Olaf Scholz’s government late last year. His hopes of offering an antidote to previous political instability have been significantly undermined.
Political analysts point to potential dissent within the SPD ranks as a key reason for the upset. Not all SPD members were reportedly satisfied with the coalition arrangement, and the result may reflect internal resistance.
Far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), which came second in February’s election with 20.8% of the vote, swiftly seized on the moment. Its co-leader Alice Weidel posted on X, calling the vote “proof of the weak foundation” of the CDU-SPD alliance, which she claimed was “rejected by voters”.
Tuesday’s events disrupted what had been a carefully choreographed transition. Outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz was honoured with a ceremonial military Grand Tattoo on Monday night, while Merz was widely expected to be sworn in after a visit to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Even former chancellor Angela Merkel attended the Bundestag session in anticipation of Merz’s election.
At 69, Merz must now decide whether to push for a second vote, risking another failure, or reassess his position within the coalition. Either outcome is likely to shape Germany’s political trajectory in the coming weeks.
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