Disastrous setback in Germany's parliament (Bundestag).
Friedrich Merz, the CDU's candidate for Chancellorship, falls short in the first round of voting in the Bundestag. With only 310 out of 621 votes, Merz missed the absolute majority by a thin margin of six votes. The required majority for a candidate to take the Chancellor's seat is 316 votes, a figure Merz failed to achieve.
Historically, all Chancellor candidates who had the support of a governing majority have been elected in the first round. From Konrad Adenauer in 1949 to Olaf Scholz in 2021, previous Chancellors secured their positions effortlessly. Merz's loss, therefore, marks a break from this unbroken tradition.
Let's explore the rules governing subsequent ballots:
Navigating the Follow-Up Votes
With the Basic Law providing a 14-day window for further ballots, Merz retains the possibility to re-enter the race, assuming he sees a viable path to obtaining the necessary majority. During this period, multiple ballots with different candidates are feasible. A candidate must still secure an absolute majority (316 votes) to be elected.
In the event that no candidate manages to secure the absolute majority within the set timeframe, a new ballot will ensue. Here, only a relative majority (the candidate with the most votes) is needed, provided that the number is higher than the candidate who secured the most votes in the previous ballot.
If the third ballot fails to produce a Chancellor, the President has the choice to:1. Appoint the candidate who received the relative majority as Chancellor.2. Dissolve the Bundestag and call for new elections.
In short, if Merz wishes to reclaim his bid for Chancellorship, he must tantalize enough votes to secure the absolute majority in the coming rounds. If not, subsequent votes will whittle down the candidates, ultimately resulting in the candidate with the most votes being appointed—or new elections being called.
What is the possible outcome for Friedrich Merz's Chancellorship bid after falling short in the initial vote? He must secure an absolute majority, 316 votes, in the coming rounds to become Chancellor, or face the possibility of a new election. If no candidate reaches an absolute majority during subsequent ballots, the President will either appoint the candidate with the relative majority (the most votes) or call for new elections.
