2 h. ago Friedrich Merz WINS second vote to become German chancellor hours after suffering humiliating defeat that sparked calls for his resignation

Germany had been thrown into political chaos earlier today as Merz's bid to become the country's 10th chancellor shockingly failed in the first round of voting in parliament by just six votes this morning.

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2 h. ago Germany’s Merz confirmed as chancellor in second parliamentary vote after first round shock defeat

New leader suffered a humiliating loss in the first round – falling six votes short of an absolute majority

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2 h. ago Friedrich Merz elected German chancellor in second round of voting

Merz had suffered a humiliating defeat on the first attempt

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2 h. ago Why Friedrich Merz’s voting debacle could upset his ambitious plans for the EU

The voting fiasco has shaken the beginning of a leadership that was supposed to signal a new era of stability

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3 h. ago German parliament elects Merz as chancellor in second round of voting

New leader secures 325 votes after humiliating loss in first round inflicted by 18 unnamed coalition rebelsEurope live – latest updatesThe German parliament has formally elected Friedrich Merz as the country’s 10th chancellor since the second world war, after a humiliating loss in the first round of voting that raised troubling doubts about the stability of the next coalition government.Merz secured 325 votes in the second round, just above the necessary 316. Earlier in the day 18 unnamed rebels from the newly formed alliance between his conservatives and the Social Democrats had voted to deprive him of the required majority in the secret ballot. Continue reading...

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3 h. ago Friedrich Merz wins second vote to become Germany’s chancellor

Previous defeat had marked a first in country’s postwar history

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3 h. ago Germany’s Merz confirmed as chancellor in second vote following first round humiliation – Europe live

CDU/CSU leader had expected an easy victory in ballot to succeed the outgoing Olaf ScholzMerz suffers shock defeat in German parliament vote for chancellorFor what it’s worth, multiple German media are now suggesting that there won’t be another round of voting today – exactly because Merz and his team worry about the risk of another hugely embarrassing defeat.Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Bild and Stern’s Julias Betschka all say the second vote is unlikely to take place today. Let’s wait for the official confirmation, though. Continue reading...

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3 h. ago Germany’s Merz secures chancellorship in second parliamentary vote after shock upset

The fresh result will be a relief for Mr Merz after he failed to gather the votes needed to form a coalition in the first round this morning

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4 h. ago German parliament votes again on Merz’s bid to be chancellor after humiliating first round – Europe live

Man expected to lead country is first postwar candidate to lose first voting round, described as ‘complete catastrophe’Merz suffers shock defeat in German parliament vote for chancellorFor what it’s worth, multiple German media are now suggesting that there won’t be another round of voting today – exactly because Merz and his team worry about the risk of another hugely embarrassing defeat.Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Bild and Stern’s Julias Betschka all say the second vote is unlikely to take place today. Let’s wait for the official confirmation, though. Continue reading...

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5 h. ago Germany’s Merz faces second parliament vote to be elected chancellor after shock defeat in first – Europe live

Man expected to lead country is first postwar candidate to lose first voting round, described as ‘complete catastrophe’Merz suffers shock defeat in German parliament vote for chancellorFor what it’s worth, multiple German media are now suggesting that there won’t be another round of voting today – exactly because Merz and his team worry about the risk of another hugely embarrassing defeat.Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Bild and Stern’s Julias Betschka all say the second vote is unlikely to take place today. Let’s wait for the official confirmation, though. Continue reading...

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5 h. ago Why Friedrich Merz’s shock defeat could upset his ambitious plans for the EU – and what happens next

Mr Merz was expected to be Germany’s next chancellor but the vote has thrown his plans into chaos

Events

5 h. ago Friedrich Merz suffers shock defeat in German parliament vote to be named chancellor — by six votes

Mr Merz needed a majority of 316 out of 630 votes in a secret ballot – but received only 310 votes

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7 h. ago Chaos in Germany as Friedrich Merz fails to be elected chancellor after MPs rebel amid anger at AfD being designated 'far right',  country's huge bill to defend Ukraine and migrant crisis

Merz, the conservative leader, was expected to win the vote on Tuesday.

Events

8 h. ago German politics bombshell as Friedrich Merz fails to get majority vote needed to be chancellor

The Bundestag now has 14 days to elect Friedrich Merz or another candidate

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8 h. ago Humiliation for Germany’s Merz in vote to be chancellor as he falls short in first ballot – Europe live

Further vote not expected today in process that had been expected to anoint CDU/CSU leader to replace outgoing Olaf ScholzScholz to hand over power to sound of feminist anthemFor what it’s worth, multiple German media are now suggesting that there won’t be another round of voting today – exactly because Merz and his team worry about the risk of another hugely embarrassing defeat.Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Bild and Stern’s Julias Betschka all say the second vote is unlikely to take place today. Let’s wait for the official confirmation, though. Continue reading...

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8 h. ago Friedrich Merz loses parliament vote to be named next German chancellor — by six votes

Mr Merz needed a majority of 316 out of 630 votes in a secret ballot. He only received 310 votes, forcing the coalition of parties to reconvene to discuss the next step

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8 h. ago Friedrich Merz fails to be elected German chancellor in historic first for country's parliament

Merz, the conservative leader, was expected to win the vote on Tuesday.

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8 h. ago Shock in German parliament as Friedrich Merz falls short of majority needed to be chancellor

The Bundestag now has 14 days to elect Merz or another candidate

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9 h. ago Germany’s Merz falls short of votes needed to be chancellor in shock first ballot – Europe live

Session adjourned so parties can consult over process that had been expected to anoint CDU/CSU leader to replace outgoing Olaf ScholzScholz to hand over power to sound of feminist anthemHere’s a procedural explanation on what’s next, via the Bundestag’s website:To be elected, the candidate must secure the votes of an absolute majority of the Members of the Bundestag, that is half of the Members plus at least one additional vote. This is sometimes called the “chancellor majority”.If the candidate fails to secure an absolute majority in the first round of voting, a second round is held. The Bundestag then has 14 days to elect another candidate to be Chancellor. There is no limit to the number of possible ballots, although an absolute majority is always required (Article 63.3 of the Basic Law). Continue reading...

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9 h. ago Friedrich Merz fails in initial vote to become Germany’s chancellor

Embarrassing defeat for conservative politician delays swearing in

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