Friedrich Merz Falls Short in First Round of Chancellor Vote

On Tuesday, Germany’s conservative party leader Friedrich Merz suffered a huge blow. He did not win sufficient support on the first round of parliamentary voting to secure the chancellorship. Merz promised a return to firm leadership following a period of weak leadership during the tenure of the outgoing Chancellor, Olaf Scholz. He came in six votes short of the majority required from Germany’s 630 federal parliamentarians.

The vote’s narrow approval represents an unprecedented moment in Germany’s postwar history. Which all just serves to highlight the uphill battle that Merz has in trying to drum up support for the leadership vote. At first, Merz focused on moral leadership for a country that had lost its foothold at the center of Europe. His inability to win on his first try is a colossal humiliation, both for him and his party.

Political analysts noted that with Merz’s defeat, the door was wide-open for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Now they’re taking the opportunity to criticize his leadership. Bernd Baumann, the AfD’s parliamentary group leader, remarked, “Merz is damaged, whatever else happens in future.” This quote highlights just how politically damaging the second consequence would be — not only for Merz’s career, but to public perception of his party.

Merz’s first trips to Paris and Warsaw are scheduled soon. He should speak to the need for a common European defense strategy, proving his dedication to a smart-on-crime pivot in U.S. foreign policy. His inability to land on a final appointment for Chancellor could derail these plans. It would seriously undermine his claim to be the strong leader we need.

A second ballot for Merz occurs in two weeks time. This provides him one last opportunity to exercise the political power he’ll need to collect on his down payment for his election. He certainly has opportunity to make things work this next round. The first vote has nevertheless already loomed large over his nascent bid.

Political observers are no doubt salivating at the prospect of analyzing the implications of this rare occurrence. All eyes are waiting to see how Merz will handle this blow in the weeks to come. He does want to be a national leader and that depends on winning votes. Further, he needs to address the perception that has come out of this loss.