London – Two and a half months after winning Germany’s federal elections, Friedrich Merz failed to win the majority required at the first attempt.
Initially, Merz received 310 votes for and 307 votes against, unable to reach at least 316 votes.
This is the first time in Germany’s postwar history that a candidate has lost the first round of voting.
Commentators called the shock outcome a “complete catastrophe” and “a punch to the stomach” for the 69-year-old.
Buoyed by Merz’s failure, AFD’s Alice Weidel called for a snap election.
There were talks by Julia Klöckner, the Bundestag President, to return on Wednesday, but the Democrat General Secretary Carsten Linnemann insisted: “Europe needs a strong Germany; that’s why we can’t wait for days”.
However, after much deliberation behind closed doors, there was a second vote held Tuesday afternoon that was confirmed to take place around 3:15, Berlin time.
SPD’s co-leader Lars Klingbeil also said he assumed “the necessary majority will now be there” to confirm Merz in the post.
The developments took a turn, and a majority was reached with the second vote at 325 votes in favour and 289 against, one abstention, and three invalid votes.
If this had not happened, Europe’s top economy would have faced political turmoil or triggered a new election, even further impacting an already set schedule for this week.
However, Merz has now been sworn in as Chancellor by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and his team of 17 ministers is due to take office.
Merz has been congratulated by several world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
