Merz elected German Chancellor in second Parliament vote
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More news: In a second ballot held on Tuesday, Friedrich Merz was elected Chancellor of Germany, having failed to gain the required 316 votes earlier in the day.
The Bundestag elected the CDU MP with 325 of 618 votes cast.
The second ballot was arranged after several hours of consultations with constitutional experts and members of the CDU/CSU coalition. The identities of the MPs who dissented may never be known given the vote is a secret ballot, and there is a risk that those who voted against Merz may fundamentally oppose parts of the coalition’s agenda.
After the election results were announced, Merz declared that he accepted the election. He is due to be sworn in by the Bundestag speaker a first meeting with his new cabinet.
The DAX pared back most of its earlier losses, down just 0.4% after dropping as much as 2.1% after the first vote.
Friedrick Merz fails to be elected German Chancellor
The news: Friedrich Merz fell short of gaining the necessary majority in an initial vote in Germany’s lower house of parliament on Tuesday, which would have confirmed him as the country’s next Chancellor.
The numbers: Merz led the CDU/CSU (Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union) conservatives to victory in the country’s federal election in February, and since secured a coalition deal with the Social Democrats (SPD). However, Merz only secured 310 votes in Tuesday's secret ballot, falling short of the necessary 316 out of 630 lawmakers despite the coalition holding 328 seats between them.
The context: The result comes as a shock for the conservative leader, who was widely expected to be elected by the Bundestag. Merz had planned to take office on Tuesday and immediately begin work on issues plaguing the German economy which has suffered years of stagnation. After planning to be sworn in later on Tuesday, Merz had scheduled a visit to Paris on Wednesday to meet with Emmanuel Macron.
It was the first time since World War II that an incoming chancellor failed to get parliamentary backing in the first round of voting, and lawmakers appeared shocked after the vote. Merz left the chamber for emergency talks with the coalition after the vote.
Should a candidate fail to win enough parliamentary support over several rounds of voting in the next 14 days, the country’s President can appoint another chancellor candidate or call new elections.
The sources: Bundestag press release, Reuters, Bloomberg, Bundestag statement on Merz election
