Germany's Merz falls short of majority in vote for chancellor

Germany's conservative leader, Friedrich Merz, has not gained a majority in the parliament vote for chancellor.

He needed 316 votes in the 630-seat Bundestag but received only 310. This is a significant setback for Merz, who recently won Germany's federal elections.

His coalition with the center-left has enough seats, but 18 expected supporters did not back him. This failure is unprecedented in modern German history.

The Bundestag now has another 14 days to choose a chancellor. They can select either Merz or another candidate with more than half of the votes.

Under Germany's constitution, there is no limit on how many votes can occur. If no absolute majority is reached within that time, a candidate can be elected by simple majority.

No immediate further votes are expected, leading to confusion among members. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner plans a second vote on Wednesday.

Christian Democrat General Secretary Carsten Linnemann hopes for a second round today. He stated that "Europe needs a strong Germany," emphasizing urgency.

Political commentators view Merz's defeat as humiliating. It may have been caused by discontented members of the Social Democrat SPD, which formed a coalition with conservatives on Monday.

The Bundestag president noted that nine MPs were absent and three abstained from voting. One ballot paper was declared invalid.

Not all SPD members are satisfied with the coalition deal. However, party officials insist they are fully committed to it.

Senior Social Democrat MP Ralf Stegner told the BBC that it was a secret vote. He believes their parliamentary group understands their responsibility.

Merz’s historic failure will be hard to overcome; no candidate has failed like this since 1949. His embarrassment undermines his hopes of addressing past government weaknesses and divisions.

The far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) called for new elections after his failure. Joint leader Alice Weidel stated that this vote shows the weak foundation of the coalition rejected by voters.

Johann Wadephul, Merz’s choice for foreign minister, described the vote as "an obstacle but not a catastrophe." He expressed confidence in Merz being elected in another attempt.

Germany's government transition is carefully planned. Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz received traditional honors before Monday’s vote.

Merz was expected to win and visit President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to be sworn in as chancellor. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel attended to watch the vote unfold.

Caretaker ministers from the outgoing government planned to hand over responsibilities on Tuesday afternoon.

Merz must now decide whether to push for another vote despite risks of failing again. His defeat could create splits within his coalition partners.

Political correspondents noted that backing Merz indicates potential issues within their ranks if they eventually come to power.

AfD MP Bernd Baumann criticized CDU for promising policies similar to his party’s while forming an alliance with center-left parties: “That doesn’t work.”

Green politician Katrin Göring-Eckardt warned against celebrating chaos despite her opposition to Merz as chancellor: “This isn’t good.”

Just hours earlier, messages indicated stability was returning after months of political paralysis under previous leaderships.

Merz had emphasized their historical duty to make this government successful when signing the coalition document last week.

Despite having only a narrow majority of 12 seats, this agreement seemed more stable than last November's traffic-light coalition collapse over debt spending disputes.

The SPD fell from being the largest party in its old coalition and faced its worst post-war election result at third place.

Merz promised he would revive Germany’s economy and strengthen its global voice after two years of recession.

Germany's economy grew in early 2025; however, economists warn about risks due to US-imposed tariffs affecting exports.

Last month saw contraction in Germany's services sector due to weaker demand and lower consumer spending.