Friedrich Merz Falls Short in First Parliamentary Vote for German Chancellor

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the conservative party, failed to secure enough votes in the first round of parliamentary voting to be elected as Germany’s chancellor.

Bundestag President Julia Klöckner announced that Merz did not achieve the required majority of at least 316 votes. Following the announcement, she paused the session, stating that parliamentary groups would convene to discuss the situation. The timing for a second vote remains uncertain, but German media reports suggest it may occur later this week.

German law mandates that a second vote must take place within two weeks. Merz fell short by six votes from the majority of the 630 parliamentarians. His coalition, consisting of his conservative bloc and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), holds one of the narrowest majorities in the Bundestag since World War II, with just 52% of the seats.

The outcome left many parliamentarians visibly shocked, as this marks the first instance in postwar Germany where a presumed chancellor has not been elected despite successful coalition negotiations. This defeat represents a significant embarrassment for Merz, who has pledged to restore strong leadership in Europe after a period of perceived weakness under outgoing SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Even if Merz succeeds in the subsequent vote, the initial failure is undoubtedly a setback. His planned trip to Paris and Warsaw on Wednesday to discuss European defense strategy is now in jeopardy.

Members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), poised to become the largest opposition party in parliament, quickly seized the moment to criticize Merz. Bernd Baumann, the AfD’s parliamentary group leader, remarked, “Merz is damaged, whatever else happens in the future.”