Germany has a new chancellor after Friedrich Merz, chairman of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union, was elected on the second attempt on Tuesday in the Bundestag.
Six hours after Merz fell short of an absolute majority by six votes, triggering hours of political chaos in Berlin, a second ballot on Tuesday afternoon saw him secure 325 votes. That was nine more than required in the 630-seat parliament, with 289 MPs opposed and one abstention.
Hearing the successful result, the 69-year-old Merz wobbled his head from side-to-side, a small smile growing as he stood to acknowledge the result.
In keeping with tradition, deputies lined up to congratulate the chancellor-designate before his swearing in with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
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But everyone in the chamber – and millions of German watching on television – knew they had witnessed history. Germany’s oldest chancellor since Konrad Adenauer was stumbling into office.
Tuesday’s first vote was the first time a post-war chancellor candidate failed to secure a majority on the first vote, prompting hours of crisis sittings in the backrooms of the Reichstag parliament building.
Instead of an announcement that he was Germany’s 10th chancellor, a visibly nervous parliamentary president Julia Klöckner announced at 10.15am that Merz had fallen six votes short of the 316 votes he required for an absolute majority.
“He is ... not elected chancellor of the federal republic of Germany,” she continued quickly.
[ Profile: Friedrich Merz known for impulsive shifts and rhetorical sharpshootingOpens in new window ]
Sitting stony-faced in the Bundestag chamber, the CDU chairman noted the numbers with a pen then drummed the fingers of his left hand nervously on the bench before him.
In Germany’s new 630-seat lower house of parliament, 316 votes are needed for an absolute majority. On Tuesday morning Merz fell 18 votes short of the number of seats his CDU/CSU alliance have with their designated centre-left Social Democratic Party coalition partner. Some 307 MPs voted against Merz and three abstained. Ten MPs in the 630-seat parliament were not present for the vote.
News of the vote sparked shock among the CDU front bench, with hours of insecurity over how they would proceed. The failed morning vote sent a shock wave through the chamber – and the country. The stock market slumped briefly, and questions were raised about inaugural visits by Merz to Paris and Warsaw.
Even with those visits now back on track, the failed vote sparked finger-pointing among Berlin’s future coalition partners, each accusing the other of loose parliamentary party discipline.
“Whoever in the coalition didn’t vote for Friedrich Merz have to ask themselves just whose game they are playing,” fumed Jürgen Hardt, a CDU foreign policy spokesman.
“No one was missing in our ranks,” said Lars Klingbeil, SPD co-leader and parliamentary party head. “We assume full approval here. We are dependable.”
As the shock began to sink in, CDU backbenchers approached their leader cautiously to whisper words of support. A visibly shaken Merz stood behind his chair, using its back for support. Watching the hectic talks in the chamber from the VIP balcony above, Merz’s wife and two daughters and son sat motionless as their big day out turned dark. Former chancellor Angela Merkel, a former Merz ally turned rival, looked on impassively.
Amid the long faces, MPs from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) were visibly delighted, cheering the news of the parliamentary chaos.
“This is a good day for Germany,” said Alice Weidel, AfD co-leader.
She demanded fresh federal elections, three months after the last, after two recent opinion polls put the AfD neck-and-neck with the CDU with 25 per cent support each.
As Weidel reached the top of the line to congratulate Merz on Thursday afternoon, she smiled and nodded. He nodded back.
