Friedrich Merz Falls Short in Historic Bid for German Chancellor

Friedrich Merz, leader of the CDU/CSU bloc, was not elected as Germany’s new chancellor after failing to secure enough votes in the first round of voting in the Bundestag on Tuesday, May 6.

Merz received 310 votes in favor, falling short of the 316 required for a majority. A total of 307 deputies voted against him, while three abstained. Following the vote, a break was called in the Bundestag session for political groups to discuss their next steps.

Despite Merz’s CDU/CSU/SPD coalition having 328 seats in the Bundestag, he received 18 fewer votes than expected, and 6 fewer than the majority needed to secure the chancellorship.

According to local media, this marks the first time such an outcome has occurred in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Next Steps

According to Article 63 of Germany’s Basic Law, if no candidate is elected in the first round, the Bundestag has 14 days to elect a chancellor by an absolute majority - at least 316 votes. During this period, multiple votes for different candidates may be held.

If no one secures the required majority within those two weeks, a third stage begins. At that point, a final vote is held, and only a simple majority of members present is needed. If a candidate receives an absolute majority, the president must appoint them as chancellor.

If the candidate wins only a relative majority, the president can either appoint that person or dissolve the Bundestag and call new elections.

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Friedrich Merz’s Ambitious Agenda

Friedrich Merz, 69, is a lawyer, businessman, and conservative politician. He has worked with major companies like BlackRock but has never held a government leadership position.

Known for his direct speaking style, Merz aims to revitalize Germany’s economy, strengthen its military, and curb immigration.

He seeks to shift the country back to traditional conservative values to combat the rise of the far-right AfD.

Merz has been vocal in calling for Germany to supply its Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine to be used on targets in Russia.