Berlin (TDI): German conservative leader Fredrich Merz failed to secure sufficient parliamentary votes to become the Chancellor of Germany on Tuesday.
Fredrich Merz, who led his conservative party into federal election victory in February after signing a coalition deal with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), won only 310 votes in Germany’s Bundestag. With another 6 votes, Merz would have become the Chancellor of Germany with an absolute majority.
During the voting, nine lawmakers had abstained from casting votes while another 307 voted against Fredrich Merz, according to Bundestag President, Julia Kloeckner.
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Although, this is not a fatal setback, but it is a disappointment for the Germans as Merz had promised to restore country’s leadership and its image at the global stage.
The failure has also put Merz’s trips to France and Poland into doubt that he had planned to embark on Wednesday, as Germany’s new Chancellor.
Jana Puglierin, the head of the Berlin office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, said “The whole of Europe looked to Berlin today in the hope that Germany would reassert itself as an anchor of stability and a pro-European powerhouse.” “That hope has been dashed. With consequences way beyond our borders,” she said.
Immediately after the voting, it was unclear who failed to vote for Merz in the secret ballot. Merz, who was visibly shocked himself, rose to discuss it with colleagues after the results were announced.
On Monday, his party members expressed optimism and said that he would land a majority despite murmurs in both coalition camps regarding policy compromises, cabinet nominations, and a huge borrowing package that was pushed through during the final days of the old parliament.
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Germany’s Bundestag has now 14 days to either elect Fredrich Merz, or another Chancellor. Different views have emerged after today’s voting.
Holger Schmieding, Chief Economist at Berenberg, stated, “He [Merz] is still likely to be elected but this shows that the coalition is not united, which could weaken his ability to pursue policies.”
On the other hand, Prof. Manfred Güllner, founder of the Forsa Institute, commented that apparently, the sole winner of today’s debacle was the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a far right and anti-establishment political party, which came on the second position after the coalition party, in February, and since then has topped some recent surveys.
Javaria Khalid is a writer and researcher, who specializes in Pakistan's Foreign Policy Analysis, transatlantic geopolitics, and Pakistan’s relations with the European countries and the EU. She can be reached at javariakhalid011@outlook.com
