Merz Humiliated: Germany’s Chancellor-in-Waiting Rejected by Own Coalition

Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz failed to secure enough votes to be elected to the post in the first round of voting, after which he was to be immediately sworn in as head of government. He needed 316 votes from the 630 Bundestag members. It was not expected that Merz would face such difficulties, since the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Social Democratic Party (SPD)-who are set to form the ruling coalition-hold a combined 328 seats. Merz received only 310 votes, six short of the required majority.