Friedrich Merz officially became Germany’s chancellor on his second attempt Tuesday, just hours after a surprising initial defeat exposed rifts within his newly formed coalition.
In an emergency afternoon vote, Merz secured 325 parliamentary votes—surpassing the required 316—after falling six votes short earlier in the day. His Christian Democratic Union (CDU) had won February’s election but lacked a clear majority, prompting a coalition with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) to keep the far-right AfD out of power.
The unexpected setback, the first of its kind in modern German politics, revealed tensions in the CDU-SPD alliance and gave political ammunition to the AfD, which has been gaining in polls. Merz, known for his conservative roots and sharp financial policy views, takes office with ambitious goals, including reforming Germany’s constitutional debt limits and boosting defense spending under the “Zeitenwende” strategy.
His leadership begins amid international pressure, with Ukraine and the U.S. urging continued German leadership on European security.
Though congratulated by allies, Merz now faces both internal dissent and rising far-right opposition, testing his coalition’s unity from day one.
