Germany's Friedrich Merz falls short of majority in first vote to become chancellor

Friedrich Merz has failed to secure enough support to become Germany’s next chancellor, falling short by six votes in the Bundestag’s first round of voting. In a secret ballot held on Tuesday, Merz received 310 votes in favour, just under the required 316 needed to secure a majority in the 630-member parliament.

The outcome was a surprising setback for the conservative leader, who had been expected to succeed Olaf Scholz following the collapse of Scholz’s coalition government last year. Parties backing Merz had already approved a coalition deal, giving them a narrow majority of 328 seats. However, some lawmakers appear to have broken ranks.

With the result now uncertain, parties are set to regroup for further talks. Under German law, parliament has 14 days to elect a chancellor by absolute majority. If no candidate succeeds, the president can appoint the nominee with the most votes or call for new elections.