Friedrich Merz has been confirmed as Germany’s new chancellor after a second round of voting in the Bundestag, securing 325 votes—surpassing the required 316 threshold for an absolute majority.
The vote comes after a dramatic setback earlier on Tuesday, when Merz failed to win enough support in the initial secret ballot, receiving only 310 votes—six short of the majority needed, an unprecedented event in Germany’s postwar history. According to DW, nine lawmakers were absent, three abstained, and one ballot was invalid during the first vote.
In the decisive second round, 289 lawmakers voted against Merz, one abstained, and three votes were declared invalid. The numbers suggest that the coalition received critical support from opposition parties to push the process forward.
Judging by public remarks from CDU’s Jens Spahn, CSU’s Michael Hoffmann, and SPD’s Lars Klingbeil, the governing coalition secured backing from the Greens and the Left to shorten procedural timelines and expedite the vote. “All of Europe — perhaps even the whole world — is watching,” Spahn said ahead of the second round.
The CDU/CSU alliance, which emerged as the victor in February’s national election, had formed a coalition with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), collectively holding 328 seats in the Bundestag. Yet the failed first vote revealed internal fractures, as at least 18 coalition lawmakers appeared to withhold their support. “This shows that the coalition is not united, which could weaken his ability to pursue policies,” said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg, in comments to Reuters.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which placed second in the election, quickly seized on Merz’s initial defeat. “Merz should step aside and the way should be cleared for a general election,” said AfD co-leader Alice Weidel, according to France24.
The stakes were high for Merz, 69, who has spent decades climbing the ranks of German politics. After losing multiple CDU leadership contests in the past, he finally secured the conservative candidacy earlier this year. In his campaign, Merz pledged to revive Germany’s economy, bolster support for Ukraine, and reassert Berlin’s influence on the European stage.
