A political crisis completely unexpected and unprecedented has exploded in Germany, after, has failed this morning in his first attempt to be invested in the Bundestag. Merz has collected 310 votes in favor, 307 against and three abstentions, which has stayed six support from most seats of 316. The second vote is expected for this afternoon with the aim of closing the crisis as soon as possible after a frantic morning.
The coalition of Democristians and Social Democrats has 328 seats, which means that 18 or have voted against their own candidate or have refrained. Being the secret vote, your identity is unknown.
The capital surprise in the vote has sown the bewilderment in a Bundestag where, in a few minutes, it has gone from calm and the almost festive atmosphere of a democratic relief day to an unpublished agitation. Never, from the Foundation of the Federal Republic in 1949, a chancellor had failed in the first vote, since this is the country that precious its predictability, and in theory the coalition partners reached the hemicycle with everything well tied.
The result has cast the agenda of the day, in which everything was ready for the transfer of powers. The federal president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, had to appoint Merz, before he solemnly swore the position. The frustrated candidate must may cancel the international agenda, the visits on Wednesday to Paris and Warsaw with whom he wanted to point out that Germany returned to the European Rooms.
The vote is a setback for Foreign Minister In Péctore, at a time of economic stagnation and international instability, and also for the image of the first economy of Europe, a country that until recently was an example of stability and moderation. Now it has been shown that they have a Parliament without a solid majority and with the extreme right as the first opposition force, with 152 deputies.
Frankfort’s bag fell 1.1% after knowing that Merz had not obtained the majority. On Monday night, the outgoing chancellor, the social democrat Olaf Scholz, had already officially said goodbye to the position in a military ceremony. On the same morning on Tuesday, future ministers were already preparing for relief ceremonies and to settle in their offices. They cannot, for now.
The result forces a new vote, within 14 days, and in which Merz would also need an absolute majority of 316 deputies. The third vote would require only a simple majority, such as the one he has obtained this Wednesday. If this afternoon’s vote is thriving and Merz is invested as chancellor, all this calendar would be canceled.
In Bundestag’s infrequent environment, the hypotheses about what will happen if the democratic leader fails again in the second round. One possibility, which until recently would have seemed crazy, would be to expand the coalition to the greens to have a stronger majority.
The objective of the coalition of Democristians and Social Democrats, for the moment, is to organize the second vote, without waiting for the longest deadlines provided for the Bundestag regulations. To convene it, a two -thirds majority of the camera is necessary, which would require, in addition to the votes of the CDU/CSU and the SPD, those of the Greens and the left.
The greens have declared themselves willing to support the early vote, explained deputy Ricarda Lang, president of the party. Lang described those who, in the majority, voted against “irresponsible”, and asked about the interest of these deputies of risking weakening their own government and helping the alternative extreme right party for Germany.
“I can imagine two things,” said the environmental deputy. “One, that there is discontent in the SPD with the coalition contract and with the appointments policy. Or that a part of the union [CDU/CSU] Play with fire to damage your own chancellor and create instability. ”
The search for guilty has begun. Democristians and social democrats consulted in the Bundestag take responsibility in the other field, although they admit that, being secret the vote, it is impossible to know with certainty who the guilty are.
As in the novels of Agatha Christie, suspects abound with varied reasons to commit the crime. Someone, in the parliamentary majority of Democristians and Social Democrats, wanted to send a message to Merz, a veteran politician who has created over the years a large payroll of enemies in their ranks and those of the rivals.
One of the designated democratic ministers, in a conversation in the Bundestag halls ,. According to these theories, they would be dissatisfied with the headquarters of the SPD and their appointments for the ministries in the coalition with the democristians. Or they would like to make Merz pay sins past, like the vote in February next to the extreme right to tighten immigration laws. According to a deputy Bavaro, the culprit could not look for him in the conservative field, since sowing chaos goes precisely, according to this argument, against conservative values.
The Social Democrats reply that, on the contrary, in their own ranks no one pointed out that he was going to vote against, as usually happens when a vote of dissent is prepared. In a referendum among militants, 85% vote in favor of the coalition contract with the democristians, although the participation was low, 56%. The rebellion, according to this argument, would come rather the discontent in the CDU/CSU, which has not yet closed the wounds of Merkel’s years.
Merz, of an impulsive nature and located in the most conservative and liberal wing was never a particularly dear leader. The result in the February 23 elections, a victory although less than expected, showed its vulnerability. The turn in later weeks, when he abandoned the defense of the zero deficit in favor of indebtedness to invest in defense and infrastructure, led many, in his field, to accuse him of “lack of the word”, of “betrayal” and of having approached excessively to his future social democratic partners. A party sector also believes that the sanitary cordon that must be softened by the sanitary cord that currently applies to AFD, a party that intelligence services just described as “right -wing extremist.”
Democristian deputy Johann Wadephul, in statements at the exit of hemicycle, tried to calm the spirits ensuring that it is part of “democratic and parliamentary normality.” The situation “is serious,” says Social Democratic deputy Nils Schmid, “but manageable.”
Merz, in any case, begins with bad foot, touched by the friendly fire. A lame duck even before taking office.
The candidate for the Chancellor met at the end of the vote with the leader of the Social Democratic Party, Lars Klingbeil, designated to be his vice chancellor. Then, both groups, the Merz CDU/CSU and the Klingbeil SPD, held two closed door meetings to prepare the following steps, which now seem to shorten with the new planned vote.
