Friedrich Merz Fails to Win Election as Germany’s Chancellor on First Round of Voting

What Happened?

Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s conservative Christian Democratic Union Party, failed to secure enough votes to become chancellor on the first round of voting. Merz only managed 310 votes in a secret ballot, falling short of the required 316 out of 630 lawmakers, even though the coalition partners have 328 seats between them.

Mr. Merz’s loss represented the first time since the Second World War that an incoming chancellor failed to secure backing from lawmakers in the first round of voting in the Bundestag. During a second ballot, Mr. Merz secured enough votes to triumph. 

Why it Matters

Despite the later win, the loss by Mr. Merz came as a surprise to almost everyone in Germany.

Germany is Europe’s most populous country and largest economy, and the loss by Mr. Merz threatened to throw Germany’s political system into chaos, at least temporarily. The DAX, Germany’s stock index, dropped 1.8% on the news of Mr. Merz’s loss. 

According to the German Constitution, the failed vote will initiate a second voting phase. In this 14-day period, the Bundestag still needs an absolute majority to approve a chancellor candidate. There is no limit to the number of ballots that can take place during the two-week period. After the initial loss, the next round of voting delivered enough support for Mr. Merz to claim victory.

Though the reasons for the initial unexpected loss are uncertain, the most likely cause is disagreement over the new agenda Mr. Merz’s conservative party has been touting. The political impasse comes at a critical time for Germany, as the economy has been in recession for two years. A weakened government might not be able to pass fiscal measures to help improve Germany’s sluggish economy. 

Germany’s far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) celebrated the news, with spokesman Alice Weidel saying ‘this demonstrates what a weak foundation’ Mr. Merz’s coalition was built on. The AfD has continued to gain popularity in Germany, primarily on anti-immigrant policy proposals. 

For years Germany’s open immigration policy has allowed a surge of migrants from war torn countries like Syria to settle in Germany. But those migrants have brought with them a host of problems, including increased criminal activity, that German authorities have struggled to address.

How it Affects You

A weakened and divided German government would not be in a strong position to address Germany’s economic struggles, or the threat posed by Russia to the east. If Europe was looking to Germany for stability and leadership, those hopes, at least for the moment, have been dashed.