APFriedrich Merz, leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), failed to secure the chancellorship in his first parliamentary vote on May 6, 2025. Despite his coalition holding a majority, Merz received only 310 votes, falling six short of the 316 out of 630 votes needed for an absolute majority in the German federal parliament, Bundestag.
This unprecedented outcome—the first such failure since World War II—has exposed significant fractures within the coalition. Internal dissent, particularly from the Social Democratic Party’s (SPD) left wing, has been cited as a contributing factor. Worries about Merz's new fiscal policy, which involves over €1 trillion in additional borrowing, have unsettled more fiscally conservative members.
The secret ballot nature of the vote has made it difficult to pinpoint the exact sources of dissent. However, the shortfall suggests that some coalition members either abstained or voted against Merz. This internal discord has delayed Merz's planned swearing-in and subsequent international engagements, including a scheduled meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Merz's coalition is headed by his center-right party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and its Bavarian counterpart, the Christian Social Union (CSU). The center-left Social Democrats, the party of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, join them. The parties are set to regroup to discuss their faultlines.
The vote's failure has delayed Merz's planned swearing-in and subsequent international engagements. A second vote is expected within 14 days. If no candidate achieves an absolute majority in subsequent rounds, the Bundestag may proceed with a simple majority vote, or new elections could be called.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), now the main opposition party, has capitalized on the coalition's instability. It demanded new elections and refused to support Merz in future rounds. The AfD's recent classification as a "right-wing extremist" group has further complicated the political landscape.
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The secret ballot nature of the vote has made it difficult to pinpoint the exact sources of dissent. However, the shortfall suggests that some coalition members either abstained or voted against Merz. This internal discord has delayed Merz's planned swearing-in and subsequent international engagements, including a scheduled meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Merz's coalition is headed by his center-right party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and its Bavarian counterpart, the Christian Social Union (CSU). The center-left Social Democrats, the party of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, join them. The parties are set to regroup to discuss their faultlines.
The vote's failure has delayed Merz's planned swearing-in and subsequent international engagements. A second vote is expected within 14 days. If no candidate achieves an absolute majority in subsequent rounds, the Bundestag may proceed with a simple majority vote, or new elections could be called.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), now the main opposition party, has capitalized on the coalition's instability. It demanded new elections and refused to support Merz in future rounds. The AfD's recent classification as a "right-wing extremist" group has further complicated the political landscape.
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