Friedrich Merz Faces Setback in Pursuit of Chancellorship
Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany's CDU/CSU conservatives, failed to secure the necessary parliamentary majority to become chancellor. Despite winning the February election and forming a coalition with the Social Democrats, Merz's bid fell short by six votes. The Bundestag has 14 days to elect a chancellor.
German conservative leader Friedrich Merz encountered a significant obstacle in his quest to become chancellor, as he lacked the parliamentary majority in a decisive first-round vote on Tuesday. This development represents an unexpected hitch for his coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats.
At the age of 69, Merz led his CDU/CSU conservatives to victory in the federal elections held in February. However, despite securing a coalition agreement with the Social Democrats (SPD), he garnered only 310 votes in the Bundestag, falling short of the required 316, as announced by Bundestag President Julia Kloeckner. She indicated an interruption in the parliamentary session for consultations on future proceedings.
The Bundestag now faces a 14-day window to elect Merz or an alternative candidate as chancellor with a definitive majority. Another voting attempt could occur imminently. Although Merz's conservatives achieved a national election victory with 28.5% of the vote, a majority government necessitates another partnering ally. The Social Democrats, whose election results marked their worst post-war performance at 16.4%, finalized a coalition with Merz's party on Monday.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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