Germany’s Merz fails to be elected chancellor in shock first-round parliamentary vote

Friedrich Merz, the designated Chancellor of Germany from the CDU, was photographed at the coalition agreement signing ceremony between the SPD, CDU, and CSU in Berlin, Germany on May 5, 2025.

Merz faced a defeat in his bid to become German Chancellor on Tuesday as he did not secure the required majority in the initial parliamentary vote. Falling short of the needed 316 votes, only 310 parliament members supported his candidacy out of a total of 630 in the Bundestag.

This result came as a surprise setback for Merz, who was expected to easily secure the votes and be sworn in later that day. Following the announcement of the vote outcome, discussions on the next steps were paused during the parliamentary session. The German DAX stock market index showed a 1.4% decline by 10:07 a.m. London time.

According to the German constitution, a second vote must be held within 14 days, requiring an absolute majority once again. Contingency plans are also in place in case the second vote fails to elect a chancellor.

Merz’s Social Democratic Union, in partnership with the Christian Social Union, had won the most votes in Germany’s February election. They were set to form a coalition government with the Social Democratic Party, a common practice in Germany due to the rarity of any single party securing over 50% of the votes in an election.

The coalition agreement, titled “Responsibility for Germany,” was signed by the parties on Monday after weeks of negotiations following the February election.

Friedrich Merz, aged 69, has long aspired to top political positions in Germany. He became a CDU member in school, eventually leading the party’s youth organization. Merz served as a member of the European Parliament in 1989 before moving to the Bundestag in Germany.

In the early 2000s, Merz’s political career was marked by a rivalry with former Chancellor Angela Merkel as they vied for leadership within the CDU and CDU-CSU parliamentary group. After holding leadership roles, he resigned in 2004, a move seen by observers as linked to Merkel’s ascent in the party.

Before his political career, Merz studied law and worked as a judge and lawyer at Mayer Brown LLP. He also held executive roles at companies like BlackRock Germany and HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt.