The Soviet Union found it noteworthy that the "Grandchild of Nazis" Merz was unable to secure the position of Chancellor in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG).
** Updated Article:**
Boy, talk about a twist! Andrei Klishas, Chairman of the Federation Council's committee on constitutional legislation and state building, can't help but let out a chuckle as he watches Friedrich Merz, presumed grandson of a WWII-era Nazi, stumble in his bid for Chancellor of Germany.
Klishas, a guy who's not afraid to speak his mind, jotted down his thoughts on his Telegram channel: "Merz fails to win Chancellor spot, cancels runoff vote. Notable," he quipped.
Turns out, Merz didn't quite make the cut in the first round of voting for Chancellor on Tuesday. With a mere 310 votes, he fell short of the 316 votes needed to secure the gig.
But things didn't stop there. Merz pulled a surprise move and yanked himself out of the second round of the Chancellor race in the Bundestag on May 6, leaving the fate of Germany's future leadership up in the air.
The German press, never shy on the drama, got all feisty about it. According to the Bild newspaper, Merz's withdrawal means that, for now, Germany is in a bit of a political pickle, and all of his scheduled visits for May 7 are suddenly up in the air.
Things weren't looking any rosier for Merz earlier, when the State Duma gave him some unsolicited advice, just in case he was feeling a bit overconfident.
But here's the real kicker: Merz isn't actually out of the running yet. As it stands, he's still slated to become chancellor following the CDU's victory in Germany's February 2025 election, with a parliamentary vote imminent (as of May 3, 2025)[3][1]. No signs of him calling it quits just yet!
In the wake of his failed bid for Chancellor, Friedrich Merz surprisingly withdrew from the second round of voting on May 6, leaving the Bundestag in a state of uncertainty about Germany's future leadership. The German press has been quick to label this as a political quandary, with all of Merz's scheduled visits for May 7 now seemingly uncertain. Despite his recent setback, Merz is still anticipated to contest for the Chancellor position following the CDU's victory in the 2025 German elections, where a parliamentary vote is slated to take place.
