Friedrich Merz Falls Short in Bid for German Chancellorship by Just Six Votes

Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has narrowly failed to secure the chancellorship, falling just six votes short of the required majority in a dramatic first-round vote in the Bundestag on Tuesday, as per Al Jazeera.

Merz, who was widely seen as the frontrunner to become Germany’s next chancellor, received 310 votes in the secret ballot — just below the 316 needed for an outright victory in the 630-member lower house of parliament. It marks the first time in German postwar history that a chancellor candidate has failed to win an absolute majority in the initial round.

The result is a political setback for Merz and throws the country’s leadership into uncertainty. Under parliamentary rules, the Bundestag now has 14 days to elect a chancellor, who must still secure an outright majority. If no candidate achieves this by then, a final vote will be held in which a relative majority may suffice, though that scenario could prompt new elections.

The CDU/CSU bloc, led by Merz, won the most votes in the February national election with 28.5 percent but fell short of a parliamentary majority. On Monday, the conservatives struck a coalition agreement with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), who trailed with 16.4 percent after the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government late last year.

Together, the CDU/CSU and SPD control 328 seats — a narrow majority — but the vote revealed cracks within the alliance. According to reports, 10 members from the coalition parties were absent, three abstained, and several defied party lines by voting against Merz.

The CDU-SPD coalition has proposed an ambitious governing agenda focused on economic growth, increased defense spending, and stricter immigration policies in response to the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which came in second in the election.

The CDU and SPD have a long history of cooperation, having governed together in several coalitions, most notably during former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s 16-year tenure from 2005 to 2021.