Merz Wins German Chancellorship on Second Ballot

Friedrich Merz took the German chancellor position on Tuesday by obtaining 325 votes during the second parliamentary ballot following his initial defeat with 310 votes in the first round. The first-round failure of any postwar chancellor candidate became a historic event. The coalition of Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union and Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats controls 328 seats but the secret ballot process made it impossible to detect defectors.

Jens Spahn from the Union bloc observed that the vote received worldwide attention because Europe depends on Germany's leadership. The conservative leadership transition occurred after Merz won the election following Scholz's February defeat. The second-round victory of Merz established government stability in Germany but it created doubts about coalition cohesion because potential dissent remains present. The 10th postwar chancellor Merz now leads Germany through economic and geopolitical challenges that include U.S. tariff pressures and EU trade dynamics.