Friedrich Merz becomes Germany’s chancellor after successful second round vote

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), was elected Chancellor of Germany in the second round of voting in the Bundestag on May 6.

The parliamentary session was streamed live on the Bundestag’s official website, allowing the public to witness the pivotal vote, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

In the second round, Merz received 325 votes, exceeding the necessary 316 votes for election. While the result saw a majority in his favor, 289 members voted against his candidacy, and one lawmaker abstained from voting. Merz expressed his acceptance of the vote results following his victory, acknowledging the parliamentary decision that had secured him the top government position.

In the first round, he suffered a historic defeat, receiving only 310 votes despite the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the coalition of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) hold 328 seats in the Bundestag. This marked a historical first in Germany's history, as no candidate from the winning party has ever failed to secure the position after elections and successful coalition negotiations. 

Following his election, 69-year-old Merz will receive his appointment certificate from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace and then return to the Bundestag to take the oath of office. The same procedure will follow for the ministers of his cabinet. In the evening, six months after the collapse of the previous coalition, the new government will officially begin its work.  

Merz is known as a staunch transatlanticist and a "hawk" in his approach to Russia. Previously, the CDU leader suggested that Russia should be given an ultimatum to cease its attacks on Ukrainian targets within 24 hours, or else, as Chancellor, he would allow Germany to strike deep into Russian territory with German weapons, potentially even deploying Taurus missiles. 

From 2000 to 2002, Merz led the CDU parliamentary faction. Later, due to disagreements with Chancellor Angela Merkel, he temporarily left politics and worked in the American investment firm BlackRock, earning the nickname "Mr. BlackRock" from his critics. Throughout his career, Merz has repeatedly expressed his ambition to strengthen Germany’s role in Europe, both economically and politically.

By Naila Huseynova