5 reactions
Political developments in Germany:
I don’t know if you’ve been following it, but since the election in February, we still don’t really have a functioning government. The coalition has more or less come together (let me tell you, it’s a mess... oh boy), and today Friedrich Merz was supposed to be elected Chancellor.
BUT—
He failed in the first round of voting today. That has never happened before in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany! Until now, every Chancellor has been elected in the first round.
So Friedrich Merz just set a record that many are finding amusing. He’s simply not the great Chancellor he imagines himself to be—and apparently, other members of parliament know it too.
Even members of his own party voted against him.
Here’s a current report from the German media about it.
https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/kanzlerwahl-merz-100.html
And here’s the translation (of the main aspects):
Friedrich Merz Fails in First Round of Chancellor Election
In an unprecedented event in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, CDU leader Friedrich Merz did not secure the necessary majority in the first round of the chancellor election. In a secret ballot, he received only 310 votes—six short of the required 316. The coalition factions of CDU/CSU and SPD together hold 328 seats in the Bundestag.
This unexpected outcome has led to discussions among the parliamentary groups about the current situation. Merz and SPD co-chair Lars Klingbeil had emphasized on Monday that they were confident of a clear majority from the future governing factions in the chancellor election. During special faction meetings on Tuesday morning, both the Union and SPD confirmed that all their members were present.
The Bundestag session has been adjourned to allow parties to deliberate on the next steps in the ongoing chancellorship process.
I don’t know if you’ve been following it, but since the election in February, we still don’t really have a functioning government. The coalition has more or less come together (let me tell you, it’s a mess... oh boy), and today Friedrich Merz was supposed to be elected Chancellor.
BUT—
He failed in the first round of voting today. That has never happened before in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany! Until now, every Chancellor has been elected in the first round.
So Friedrich Merz just set a record that many are finding amusing. He’s simply not the great Chancellor he imagines himself to be—and apparently, other members of parliament know it too.
Even members of his own party voted against him.
Here’s a current report from the German media about it.
https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/kanzlerwahl-merz-100.html
And here’s the translation (of the main aspects):
Friedrich Merz Fails in First Round of Chancellor Election
In an unprecedented event in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, CDU leader Friedrich Merz did not secure the necessary majority in the first round of the chancellor election. In a secret ballot, he received only 310 votes—six short of the required 316. The coalition factions of CDU/CSU and SPD together hold 328 seats in the Bundestag.
This unexpected outcome has led to discussions among the parliamentary groups about the current situation. Merz and SPD co-chair Lars Klingbeil had emphasized on Monday that they were confident of a clear majority from the future governing factions in the chancellor election. During special faction meetings on Tuesday morning, both the Union and SPD confirmed that all their members were present.
The Bundestag session has been adjourned to allow parties to deliberate on the next steps in the ongoing chancellorship process.
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