Germany’s Merz becomes chancellor after surviving historic vote failure

Friedrich Merz has been confirmed as Germany’s new chancellor after a dramatic day in the Bundestag that exposed deep political fractures. In an unprecedented first-round vote, Merz fell six votes short of the required 316, marking the first such failure in postwar German history. He secured the chancellorship in a second round with 325 votes, leading a coalition between his center-right CDU/CSU and the center-left SPD. The initial setback highlighted internal dissent and the fragility of the coalition, especially as the far-right AfD surged to second place in the February elections with 20.8% of the vote. Merz now faces the challenge of revitalizing Germany’s economy amid global uncertainties, including new U.S. tariffs under President Trump. His leadership will be tested in navigating a polarized political landscape and restoring stability to Europe’s largest economy