Merz fails to be elected German chancellor in first-round voting
In Germany, Friedrich Merz failed to secure a majority needed to become chancellor in a parliamentary vote on Tuesday. This is the first time that a chancellor has not been elected in the first vote.
Merz is the candidate for the alliance of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union, which won the general election in February.
He was expected to win a majority with support from lawmakers of the Social Democratic Party, a coalition partner of the CDU/CSU. But Merz fell six votes short.
German public broadcaster ZDF reported that some members of the Social Democratic Party may have voted against Merz, as his bloc pushed a motion to tighten immigration rules to pass parliament in January with the help of the far-right Alternative for Germany party.
It is not known who voted against Merz.
The Basic Law, the country's constitution, stipulates that parliament can hold a new round of voting within two weeks.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Japan Times
Germany's Merz lets Trump do the talking and survives Oval Office meeting
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz successfully navigated a 40-minute meeting with Donald Trump in the Oval Office without falling victim to the public humiliation the American president has doled out to other leaders — even though both Germany and Europe are two of Trump's perpetual irritants. Merz heeded the advice from a number of European leaders that he should let Trump do most of the talking, and when he did talk, to praise the president. Merz faded into the background for much of the meeting, breaking his silence to say that Germany owes "the Americans a lot.' Merz's meeting with Trump was a high-risk move to try to lobby the president on several existential issues for the European Union: the brewing transatlantic trade conflict, the continent's security architecture and the upcoming NATO summit and how to continue support for Ukraine.
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Japan Times
After courting and criticizing Trump from afar, Merz now set to meet U.S. leader
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has veered between boasting about common ground with U.S. President Donald Trump to bemoaning the U.S. leader's volatility and even mocking his bravado. Now, for the first time, he gets to deal with him face to face. After nearly a month in office and following weeks of negotiations, the 69-year-old conservative will travel to Washington for his inaugural meeting with Trump on Thursday. Past meetings between the two countries' leaders have often been formalities to reinforce their unshakable postwar partnership. This time is different. Stiff tariffs are looming for German exporters in Trump's trade dispute with the European Union, while American support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia's invasion hangs in the balance. A positive meeting might take some of the heat out of these issues, but the bigger risk is that tensions could boil over, setting back transatlantic ties even further. The chancellor is preparing for anything, according to an official familiar with the discussions in the chancellery in Berlin. Scenarios range from hearty handshakes like with French President Emmanuel Macron to the public berating received by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the person who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. Merz, who hadn't served in government before starting his term on May 6, is well aware his encounter with Trump will be delicate and has sought tips from more seasoned veterans. In recent weeks, he's spoken to a number of European leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finland's President Alexander Stubb. With just weeks until the president has threatened to implement sweeping 50% tariffs on all European goods, the timing of the trip is critical. The EU and the U.S. are headed in the "right direction' in trade talks, though new American levies on steel and aluminum imports aren't helpful if both sides want to maintain momentum, Maros Sefcovic said. "Our goal is to maintain the momentum,' the bloc's trade commissioner added Wednesday after meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Paris. Ahead of the trip to Washington, Merz has been advised to let Trump do most of the talking, according to the German official. Interruptions are a no-no, but if he does, he should be prepared to soften it with praise, the person said. The chancellor, who can be prickly and combative, has made it clear internally that he won't openly confront the U.S. president like Zelenskyy did, the person added. After clamping down on irregular migration and vowing to ramp up defense spending, Merz has taken steps to counter views in Washington that German leadership is weak, according to Sudha David-Wilp, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund. "He comes to the White House with less baggage,' she said. "Both leaders could write a new script together.' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (left) looks on during a news conference in Paris on May 7. U.S. President Donald Trump (right) gestures as he arrives at the National Memorial Day Observance in Arlington, Virginia, on May 26. | AFP-JIJI In addition to geopolitical jeopardy, there's a lot at stake domestically. Merz's conservative bloc holds only a narrow lead in the polls over the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has been staunchly supported by Trump officials. The anti-immigration party is watching closely and wants Merz to break with Brussels to resolve the trade dispute with Trump, which the head of the Christian Democratic Union has rejected. "We shouldn't act as if German and EU interests are identical,' Beatrix von Storch, deputy leader of the AfD's parliamentary group, said in a video posted on social media. "We'll judge his visit on the extent he represents German interests in his discussion with Trump.' Recently, Merz seemed to mock Trump. When asked during a conference appearance how his first phone call went, the German leader mimicked the U.S. president's voice, drawing laughter from the crowd, and said that every second or third word out of the president's mouth was "great.' Merz, a former corporate lawyer, had long thought that he would get along with Trump because both have a business background, play golf and share a patriarchal outlook. They also both have an aversion for Angela Merkel. Merz's grudge stems from 2002, when the former chancellor ousted him as caucus leader. Trump famously avoided a handshake with her during an Oval Office meeting in his first term. During the campaign in early January, Merz — a longtime advocate for transatlantic relations — called Trump "very predictable' and a leader who "thinks what he says and he does what he says.' But Merz's optimism started to shift after Vice President JD Vance accused Germany of political repression by monitoring the AfD as a potential extremist group. His disillusionment showed on election night, when Merz said that Germany could no longer rely on the U.S. and that Europe needed to stand on its own. But with China expanding its influence and Russia's war against Ukraine still raging, the U.S. remains an indispensable ally for Germany, and Merz will be keen to strengthen that relationship. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed optimism that Merz's meeting with Trump will lead to a common understanding on key issues. "Ultimately, the U.S. cannot have any interest in Russia emerging victorious from its war of aggression against Ukraine' and in China benefiting from the transatlantic trade dispute, he said at an event in Berlin late Tuesday. That puts the spotlight on Merz and how he navigates the biggest test of his chancellorship so far, but he may be able to claim victory in Washington simply by not losing. "You can't chat with him; every encounter is a competition,' Merkel said in an interview with Spiegel magazine about her experience dealing with Trump. "The more people there were in the room, the greater his urge to be the winner.'
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Japan Times
Israel's Gaza push spurs Europe leaders to turn on Netanyahu
Some of Israel's most loyal supporters in Europe are increasingly speaking out against the war in Gaza, with several nations, including Germany, considering trade sanctions and curbs on arms sales. In recent weeks, the U.K., Netherlands and France have started mulling such moves against Israel to help end the 20-month conflict, which has destroyed much of Gaza and sparked what international aid agencies say is a hunger crisis. Germany's pivot was the most surprising due to its historical position that protecting Israel is a post-Holocaust obligation. German anger with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government grew when it intensified military operations against Hamas in mid-May and continued blocking aid to Gaza, according to information obtained by Bloomberg. In the German government's first such comments since the start of the war, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the humanitarian situation could "no longer be justified by a fight against Hamas terrorism.' Merz spoke to Netanyahu on Sunday and said it was "necessary to allow sufficient humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip immediately.' The condemnation is symbolic of the shift in Europe and of Israel's increasing isolation. Opinion polls show growing discontent. In a survey last week by Civey for Germany's Tagesspiegel newspaper, more than half the respondents said it was wrong for Berlin to export weapons to Israel. The sentiment is similar in several other nations and protests have escalated. Last month, the Netherlands saw one of its biggest protests in years, with tens of thousands of people calling for the war to stop. Displaced residents look at damage to a school following an Israeli airstrike in the Al-Daraj district of Gaza City on May 26. | Bloomberg "It's simply become impossible for most European governments to continue supporting Israel's war despite strong ongoing commitments to Israel's security,' said Julien Barnes-Dacey, program director for the Middle East and North Africa at the European Council on Foreign Relations. More countries are taking action and calling for the European Union to adopt sanctions on Israel. The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, in May said there is "a strong majority' in favor of reviewing the bloc's trade agreement with Israel. Merz subsequently said Germany — one of Israel's main arms suppliers — is considering restrictions on military exports. The EU is Israel's largest trading partner, with the two exchanging $47 billion of goods last year, according to the International Monetary Fund, and a change in policy would have a palpable impact on the Jewish state's economy, which is under strain because of the war. The U.K. announced plans to pause free-trade talks with Israel and sanctions against a handful of individuals and entities it said were engaged in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Still, European governments remain supportive of Israel's right to defend itself and EU sanctions would likely face opposition from the likes of Hungary. In addition, any measures to cut weapons exports could hurt European defense companies, while risking reciprocal action from Israel, which sells air-defense and other military equipment to Europe. Outrage in Europe escalated over a Israel— and U.S.-backed proposal to restart aid distribution to Gaza. The United Nations said the plan would supply nowhere near enough food and medicine to the territory's more than 2 million Palestinians and politicize handouts. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the Swiss-based nonprofit running the program, started distribution last week and says enough meals will be available as more centers open. Israel says the plan's necessary to avoid supplies falling into the hands of Hamas. It also says its escalation of ground and air attacks in Gaza are needed to force Hamas to surrender and release the 58 hostages it still holds. Iran-backed Hamas, designated a terrorist group by the U.S. and the EU, triggered the war when thousands of fighters crossed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250. More than 54,000 Gazans have been killed in the war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the Palestinian territory. Israel has lost more than 400 troops in Gaza combat. Images of hungry and injured children and a territory reduced to rubble have spread across news bulletins and social media, intensifying protests and prompting more pressure on Israel to increase aid supplies and stop its bombardment. On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Europe will have to harden its collective stance toward Israel unless the situation in Gaza improves soon. Displaced Palestinians collect food from a community kitchen in Jabaliya, northern Gaza, on May 19. | Bloomberg "The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable,' France said in a joint statement with the U.K. and Canada on May 19. "We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions.' France, home to both the largest Jewish and Muslim communities in Europe, is seeking to rally international support for Palestinian statehood and this month it is set to co-chair a U.N. conference in New York with Saudi Arabia. The French president will be in Rome later Tuesday for a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, where he is likely to bring up the issue. Although Italy recently urged Israel to end the war, Meloni's government is unlikely to support Palestinian independence and has maintained support for Netanyahu. The French public is largely supportive of the initiative, with a poll by Odoxa last month showing nearly two thirds of people favor a Palestinian state and 61% would back political and economic sanctions on Israel. According to the same poll, Macron's approval rating improved largely due to his shift on Gaza. For now, Israel's most important ally, the U.S., is standing by Netanyahu's government. Still, U.S. President Donald Trump has consistently spoken of wanting to stabilize the Middle East and has said he wants the conflict in Gaza to end. Trump "could actually strengthen the Franco-Saudi push for Palestinian statehood because Palestinian statehood cannot happen without a ceasefire in Gaza,' Rym Momtaz, editor in chief of Carnegie Europe's blog Strategic Europe, said. Netanyahu has lashed out at Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing them of "inviting more such atrocities' on Israel. For the EU, forging consensus is often a long process, with several rounds of horse trading. Yet Germany's comments are "a real marker' of how things have moved, according to Barnes-Dacey of the European Council on Foreign Relations. "But Europeans will need to back up their statements of condemnation with real material steps,' he said, "if they want to be taken seriously and are genuinely seeking to shift Israeli positioning.'
