BERLIN — Friedrich Merz has secured his position as Germany’s chancellor after a tense vote in the Bundestag on Tuesday afternoon. This followed an unexpected setback earlier in the day that cast a shadow over his political future.
Merz’s journey to the chancellorship
Initially, Merz faced significant embarrassment due to his inability to win the chancellorship in the first round of voting, a rarity for a leader who has just formed a coalition. However, in a dramatic turn of events, he garnered 325 votes in the subsequent round, surpassing the required 316 votes to take office.
After the successful vote, Merz expressed his gratitude, stating,
“Madam President, I thank you for your trust and I accept the election.”
His remarks were met with enthusiastic applause from his conservative supporters, while outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz extended his congratulations with a handshake.
A fragile coalition ahead
The 69-year-old Merz now leads a precarious coalition comprising his conservative bloc and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), holding one of the narrowest parliamentary majorities in Germany since World War II at just 52 percent of the seats.
The earlier events in the day highlighted potential dissent within the coalition. No previous chancellor in Germany’s history had experienced such a failure to secure votes following a coalition agreement. Recent polls indicate a decline in Merz’s approval ratings since his election on February 23, raising concerns about his leadership and the stability of his party.
The swift decision to conduct a second vote was facilitated by the cooperation of four factions, including the Greens and the Left, who agreed to expedite the parliamentary process. Lawmakers have suggested that Merz’s initial defeat was influenced by hidden dissent among coalition members. “I suspect that there have been some dissenters in both groups, perhaps more in one than in the other,” remarked Serap Güler, a senior member of Merz’s bloc.
Following the first vote, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) emerged as the largest opposition party, criticizing Merz vehemently. Their parliamentary group leader, Bernd Baumann, labeled the initial defeat a
“historic defeat, the likes of which has never been seen before in this Bundestag,”
further questioning Merz’s leadership and the trust of his own MPs.
The political uncertainty played out in the financial markets, with Germany’s DAX blue-chip index experiencing volatility. Initially, investors reacted by selling shares, but the market later stabilized as the situation evolved. This story will continue to be updated as more details emerge.