Friedrich Merz is Germany's new head of government. However, he needed an unprecedented second vote to secure the necessary majority in the Bundestag in what was a historic debacle in German politics.

At the end of the day, after several turbulent and anxious hours, it all worked out: Friedrich Merz, the chairman of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), received the necessary majority in the second round of voting in the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag. 

Merz received 325 votes, with 289 MPs voting against his chancellorship.

"I thank you for your trust and accept the election," he said, looking visibly relieved and somewhat exhausted. This makes him the tenth Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.

May 6, 2025, has been a historic day: never before has a candidate for chancellor failed to get an absolute majority in the first round of voting.

18 politicians from the CDU/CSU-SPD camp did not vote yes

But why did he not secure a majority in the first round? The three parties set to make up the coalition government together have 328 seats. Eighteen of them must have declined to vote for Merz in the first round, but due to the secret ballot it is impossible to determine who.

The result of the general election in February was dramatic enough: Merz's CDU/CSU bloc fell short of their expectations with only 28.6%. Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left Social Democrats (SPD) even saw their worst result ever: a very poor 16.4%.

On the other hand, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is now classified as "confirmed right-wing extremist" by the country's domestic intelligence agency, made huge gains garnering 20% of the vote.

There has been resistance to Friedrich Merz among the Social Democrats, many of whom find it hard to support his tough immigration policy. Several lawmakers of the CDU/CSU, on the other hand, are unhappy with Merz's turnaround on the issue of public debt. Merz himself strictly spoke out against new debt during the election campaign, but then initiated gigantic new loans after the election, with the support also of the environmentalist Green Party, his political opponents. 

Many of his party colleagues resented this. But who would dare plunge the country into political chaos because of this, or even conjure up the specter of new elections?

Opposition pounces on 'massive loss of authority'

Since the Bundestag elections in February, the AfD has been attacking Friedrich Merz and his partners. On the evening of the election, AfD co-chair Alice Weidel announced on the party's own television channel: "The next election will come sooner than you think. And then we will overtake the CDU, that is our goal." In the latest German opinion polls, the AfD is now on a par with the CDU/CSU at 25%.

This Tuesday, Weidel told DW: "Because Merz couldn't even get his own people behind him, what kind of government is this supposed to be?"

In the end, Merz was able to take office, albeit belatedly. Tomorrow, Wednesday, he will travel to Paris and Warsaw for talks with crucial allies.

Merz also wants to meet with Germany's currently most difficult partner, US President Donald Trump, as quickly as possible. His supporters hope that all this will ensure that the bumpy start to his chancellorship will soon be forgotten internationally.

This article was originally written in German.

While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.