Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), was elected chancellor in a second round of voting after an unexpected setback in the first round of voting in the Bundestag.
Merz, who had formed a coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), held a total of 328 seats, enough for a majority. However, Merz fell six votes short in the first secret ballot, only receiving 310 votes, after 18 members dissented or abstained in the secret ballot, leading to confusion and political tension. After hours of negotiations, Merz won a second vote with 325 votes and was sworn in alongside a new cabinet composed mostly of private-sector professionals, with Defence Minister Boris Pistorius the only holdover.
Merz, 69, who had never previously held government office, has promised economic revival through tax reforms and energy price reductions, along with strong support for Ukraine and increased military spending. The far-right AfD and opposition leaders criticized the coalition’s fragility, but Merz and allies stressed the importance of projecting stability and leadership in both European and global arenas.
