New German Chancellor breathes from relief after an unprecedented situation in Bundestag
To the second, it was once and for all: Friedrich Merz is the new German chancellor, gathering 325 votes in favor in Parliament – more than the 316 necessary to be approved by Parliament – against 289 votes against, an abstention and three invalid votes.
Friedrich Merz, 69, has thus become 10th Chancellor of Germany since the end of World War II.
The CDU leader can breathe with relief, as this morning – failed the election to Germany Chancellor in the first parliamentary vote that served to confirm it as the new leader of the center of center coalition with the SPD social democrats. It was only six deputies of getting a majority among the 630 deputies.
The plenary meeting was immediately interrupted, and to schedule a new vote.
Over these hours of impasse, Olaf Scholz, the outgoing Chancellor, was visibly bothered by the whole situation, not hiding his frustration in the hemicycle and traveling the runners after the first vote with an air of unbelief. As The Guardian writes, it is assured that he would not be among those who voted against in the first vote.
Olaf Scholz, a cross Chancellor, visibly frustrated after the results of the first vote (AP)
The co-leader of the far-right party AFD even suggested the calling for new elections. “Merz should move away and the solution is going through new elections,” he told reporters, describing the results of the first vote as “a good day to Germany.”
