The German parliament on Tuesday elected Friedrich Merz as Chancellor in a second round of voting. Merz failed in a first round of voting earlier in the day, triggering franctic hours of lobbying to gain support for a second vote that would back him.
The CDU politician received 325 yes votes in the second round of voting, nine more than he needed for election. 289 MPs voted against him. He needed a minimum of 316 votes in the 630 strong parliament.
According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ,) there was one abstention and three invalid votes.
Compared to the first round, 15 more parliamentarians supported Merz, but he still fell three votes short of the result that would have been expected if all members of the CDU/CSU and SPD had voted for him.
During the first vote on Tuesday, Merz obtained just 310 yes-votes, while 307 parliamentarians voted against him.
Reacting to the initial defeat, Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-leader Alice Weidel said that "Merz should step aside and the way should be cleared for a general election," but after recess the AfD agreed to a second vote.
Embarrassment
The second round became possible after the coalition between Merz's CDU/CSU and the Social Demcrat SPD came to an agreement with the Greens and Die Linke, creating a two-thirds majority needed for a follow-up vote.
Merz's initial failure to win backing at the first attempt is a first for post-war Germany and an embarrassment for a man who has promised to restore German leadership on the world stage.
The two parties have vowed to revive growth in an economy facing its third year of downturn amid a global trade war sparked by US President Donald Trump's sweeping import tariffs.
They have also promised to dramatically boost defence spending as the US commitment to the NATO alliance weakens.
But both have lost support since their already dismal performances in February - especially the conservatives, due in part to frustration with Merz's decision to loosen borrowing limits, despite campaign promises of fiscal rectitude.
(With Newswires)
