German coalition unsuccessful to elect chancellor causes political upheaval
(MENAFN) Germany is facing political turmoil after a coalition of liberal and conservative parties failed to elect a chancellor in the first round of voting in the Bundestag. Friedrich Merz, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) candidate supported by both his conservative bloc (CDU/CSU) and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), received 310 votes—just six short of the 316 required for an outright majority.
The unsuccessful vote, unprecedented in Germany’s post-World War II parliamentary history, prompted the session to be suspended so political parties could hold further talks on how to proceed. The CDU/CSU-SPD alliance holds 328 seats, theoretically enough to secure victory, making the outcome especially surprising.
If no candidate secures a majority in a second vote expected within two weeks, the process will move to a simple majority stage. At that point, the German president must decide whether to appoint the selected candidate as chancellor or dissolve parliament and call new elections.
The attempted coalition had pledged to maintain key elements of former Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s platform, including military spending reforms and continued support for Ukraine. Scholz’s previous three-party government fell apart in November due to internal conflicts over budget priorities.
Meanwhile, Germany's domestic intelligence agency recently labeled the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as “extremist.” The AfD, which opposes immigration and challenges mainstream politics, is currently polling at similar levels to the CDU and has claimed the designation is a politically motivated attempt to curb its momentum.
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