German conservative leader Friedrich Merz secured the chancellorship on May 6, 2025, winning a parliamentary vote at the second attempt after a historic initial defeat in the Bundestag, according to reporting by BBC News. Merz achieved 325 votes in the second ballot, clearing the majority threshold by nine votes after his conservative bloc and the Social Democrats agreed to a quick follow-up vote.
The First-Vote Defeat and Constitutional Precedent
During the initial secret ballot in the 630-seat Bundestag on May 6, 2025, Merz fell six votes short of the absolute majority required, gathering fewer than the 328 combined seats held by his Christian Democratic Union, the Christian Social Union, and their coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD). According to BBC News, it marked the first time in 76 years of post-war German democracy that a chancellor candidate failed to win a parliamentary vote on the first try. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner noted that nine MPs were absent, three abstained, and one ballot paper was declared invalid during the first round.
Following hours of uncertainty, parliamentary leaders and Bundestag President Klöckner arranged a second vote for the afternoon of the same day. Christian Democrat General Secretary Carsten Linnemann told German television that swift action was necessary because Europe required a stable German government without multi-day delays. Merz cleared the threshold in the second attempt, and President Frank-Steinmeier subsequently swore him into office alongside his 17 ministers.
Coalition Dynamics and Political Reactions
Political analysts and officials attributed the initial shortfall to internal dissent within the newly formed coalition, which signed its formal agreement on May 5, 2025. Europe Minister Gunther Krichbaum told BBC News that some lawmakers may have rebelled after missing out on ministerial or state secretary positions, while others pointed to skepticism among younger Social Democrats. Senior SPD MP Ralf Stegner defended his parliamentary group, telling BBC News that the secret ballot obscured individual choices but that the party understood its governing responsibilities.
Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-leader Alice Weidel posted on X that the first vote exposed the fragile foundation of the coalition between the conservatives and the SPD, calling instead for fresh elections following the party’s second-place finish in the February 2025 federal election with 20.8% of the vote.
Government Priorities and Next Steps
With the swearing-in complete, Chancellor Merz’s administration faces immediate policy demands. Conservative parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn emphasized that international observers were closely watching the transition. Krichbaum stated that the newly established government must now focus on critical national issues, specifically citing migration and economic reform.
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