Friedrich Merz, the 69-year-old leader of Germany’s Christian Democrats (CDU), has suffered a historic and unexpected defeat in his bid to become chancellor, failing to secure the necessary majority in the Bundestag. Despite his coalition holding enough seats to govern, Merz received only 310 votes out of the 316 required in the 630-member parliament, a dramatic setback not seen in German post-war history.
The result, announced Tuesday, came just two and a half months after Merz’s CDU-CSU alliance won Germany’s federal elections and days after the party signed a coalition agreement with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD). Political analysts say up to 18 MPs, believed to be from within the SPD, broke ranks, casting doubt on the stability and unity of the coalition.
Germany’s constitution allows for multiple rounds of voting in the Bundestag, and Merz now faces the delicate task of deciding whether to attempt another vote within the next 14 days or risk further embarrassment. If no candidate achieves an absolute majority in the coming rounds, the Bundestag could still elect a chancellor with a relative majority, provided the president consents.
The failed vote is not only a personal humiliation for Merz who had long aspired to lead Europe’s largest economy but also a blow to the image of the CDU-SPD coalition as a reliable alternative to the fragmented leadership of the previous government under Olaf Scholz. Scholz, the outgoing chancellor, was honored with a traditional Grand Tattoo ceremony on the eve of the vote, highlighting the ceremonial nature of Germany’s governmental transitions.
Far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), which secured 20.8% in the February election, wasted no time criticizing the failed coalition. Party co-leader Alice Weidel described the vote as proof of the “weak foundation” of the CDU-SPD alliance and said it contradicted voter sentiment.
With former Chancellor Angela Merkel watching from the Bundestag gallery, Merz must now regroup and strategize his next steps amid rising questions about his leadership and the coalition’s viability.
