Friedrich Merz has been elected Chancellor of Germany in the second round of voting on Tuesday. After an unprecedented defeat the previous morning in the Bundestag, 325 MPs voted for the CDU chairman. The CDU and SPD now have a total of 328 votes in the current parliament, twelve more than required.
Merz, who is currently the first and only designated chancellor in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, failed to secure a majority in the first round of voting. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU) then suspended the session to allow the parliamentary groups to continue their discussions. For several hours, it was unclear whether a second attempt would even take place and when. Merz’s defeat caused concern and words of caution from both the CDU and the SPD.
It was originally planned that Merz would receive his appointment certificate from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at noon. Shortly thereafter, he was to be sworn in before parliament so that his cabinet could be appointed and sworn in during the afternoon. The historically unprecedented developments have made this schedule uncertain. However, Merz and his government must be appointed as soon as possible after the election.
On Wednesday, the new German chancellor is expected to pay inaugural visits to key European partners in Paris and Warsaw. On Thursday, the Bundestag will hold a commemorative hour dedicated to the 80th anniversary of liberation from Nazism.
