Friedrich Merz Triumphs as Germany’s Chancellor After Historic Parliamentary Setback

Friedrich Merz emerges victorious as Germany’s next chancellor on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, securing the role in a dramatic second vote in parliament after an unprecedented initial defeat. Hours earlier, the conservative leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) falls six votes short of the required 316 in the first round, a historic first in Germany’s postwar history. The 630-seat Bundestag, gripped by tension, reconvenes for a second vote at 3:15 p.m. local time, where Merz clinches 325 votes, surpassing the majority threshold and silencing critics who questioned his coalition’s stability.