German parliament left dumbfounded as Merz fails in chancellor bid
German lawmakers were left dumbfounded on Tuesday as conservative leader Friedrich Merz failed to secure an absolute majority in the first round to be elected the country's new chancellor.
Merz's incoming coalition - made up of his Christian Democrats (CDU), the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU) and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) - holds 328 seats in the 630-seat Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, but he received only 310 votes, six short of the necessary majority.
Leading politicians were visibly shocked by the result as it was announced in the Bundestag, with many filing out of the chamber without comment.
However, Merz's critics were quick to celebrate, with Jan van Aken from The Left saying the CDU leader "does not succeed in connecting, but only in dividing."
According to the Basic Law, Germany's de facto constitution, lawmakers have 14 days to elect a chancellor with an absolute majority.
Amid the uncertainty following the result, it was initially unclear whether a second vote would be held on Tuesday.
Speculation was rife as to why Merz was unable to secure the majority in the secret ballot, with SPD sources telling dpa that its lawmakers unanimously backed him.
Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz (C) leaves the CDU/CSU parliamentary group office in the Bundestag after failing the first round of voting in the election for Chancellor. Michael Kappeler/dpa
Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz (F) leaves the plenary chamber after losing the first round of voting, accompanied by Jens Spahn (2nd R), Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Steffen Bilger, and Thorsten Frei (R), Federal Minister-designate for Special Tasks and Head of the Federal Chancellery. The election and swearing-in of the Federal Chancellor and the new Federal Government takes place in the Bundestag. Sebastian Gollnow/dpa
Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz (R) reacts in the Bundestag during the election of the Chancellor. In the background, Bernd Baumann (L), first parliamentary director of the AfD parliamentary group, and Alice Weidel, federal and parliamentary group leader of the AfD, talk. Merz failed the first round of voting in the Bundestag election for Chancellor. Michael Kappeler/dpa
Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz (C) reacts in the Bundestag after failing the first round of voting in the election for Chancellor. Michael Kappeler/dpa
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Seattle police outline protest response ahead of weekend ‘No Kings' demonstrations
As nationwide 'No Kings' demonstrations approach Saturday, the Seattle Police Department issued a public message outlining how officers plan to support protest activity in the city. In a statement released Friday, SPD emphasized its commitment to free expression and peaceful assembly, offering guidance to both demonstrators and property owners ahead of anticipated crowds. Many in Seattle are expected to participate in the protests, with some attending their first demonstration. Police say they want the community to understand their role and approach before events begin. At many protests, community members may encounter SPD's Police Outreach and Engagement Team, or POET officers. These officers are trained to build relationships with protesters and organizers. Their main job is to communicate with groups, reduce conflict, and assist in maintaining safety. 'If you have an issue, please approach a POET officer and they will get you assistance,' the department wrote. SPD said it favors a 'low-profile' presence and aims to avoid confrontation unless absolutely necessary. Officers will use amplified sound to deliver any instructions or emergency information. They are trained to intervene only when safety is at risk — not based on a protest's message or theme. Police action, including orders to leave an area, will only be issued in cases of violence, unpermitted road blockages, or immediate threats to public safety. If that happens, SPD said any order to disperse will be specific, clearly communicated, and provide a safe route for people to leave. The department also urged business and property owners along protest routes to take precautions by securing or removing trash bins, dumpsters, and other loose items that could pose hazards. 'Our goal is always to protect both your right to protest and the safety of everyone in our city,' the department said. The 'No Kings' protest is part of a larger national movement scheduled for Saturday. Seattle police said they are committed to ensuring demonstrations remain safe for all participants.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Germany's shift to rail freight stagnates
Germany has made scant progress over recent years in its bid to shift more freight transport off the roads and onto rail, according to a report released on Friday. In 2023, the share of rail freight in total goods transport even dipped slightly to just under 20%, down 0.3 percentage points on 2022, the Monopolies Commission found in its latest sector report. "A shift to rail can therefore only be observed to a small extent," the report said. It also noted an overall decline in the movement of goods last year, not only on the railways, attributing this mainly to cyclical reductions in demand and cost increases. The previous German government of Olaf Scholz set itself the goal of transporting around a quarter of all goods by rail - considered to be more energy efficient and sustainable - by 2030. However, the new conservative-led coalition government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which took office in May, no longer maintains that target. "Rail's share of total transport performance falls short of political expectations," wrote the authors of the sector report. "The positive competitive developments of recent years are stagnating." The Monopolies Commission called on the new government to formulate clear political objectives with regard to the railways. It should also monitor more closely how Germany's state-owned Deutsche Bahn (DB) railway network uses the billions of euros it is expected to receive from a planned special fund for infrastructure. "Otherwise, there is a risk that the funds will be used where they strengthen the competitive position of DB's own transport companies," the report said. An independent monitoring body with proven expertise was needed to ensure that the funds end up where they bring the greatest economic benefit, the authors added.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Israeli attack exposed Iran's military 'vulnerability': analysts
Israel's strikes on archfoe on Iran Friday exposed severe weaknesses for Tehran that have hampered its ability to respond militarily, analysts said. Israel said it hit 100 targets including Iranian nuclear and military sites in the attacks, killing senior figures, among them the armed forces' chief and top nuclear scientists. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel it faces a "bitter and painful" fate over the attacks, but analysts say the Islamic republic's options are limited. "This is an intelligence defeat of existential proportions for the Islamic Republic," said Ali Fathollah-Nejad, director of the Berlin-based Center for Middle East and Global Order (CMEG) think tank. "It exposes the vital vulnerability of the regime's military and security apparatus and its key infrastructures -- including nuclear -- as well as its top political and military leadership," he told AFP. "All this is meant, inter alia, to cripple Tehran's command and counter-strike capacities." The United States and other Western countries, along with Israel, accuse Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies that, but has gradually broken away from its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal it struck with world powers, after the United States pulled out of it. The landmark accord provided Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its atomic programme, but it fell apart after Trump halted US participation in 2018, during his first term. - Regime 'in a bind' - Western nations in recent days accused Tehran of deliberately escalating its nuclear programme, despite several rounds of US-Iran talks for a new accord. Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said Thursday it would "significantly" increase production of enriched uranium, after the UN's nuclear watchdog found Tehran in breach of its obligations. Israel has previously carried out attacks in the Islamic republic, including against military targets in October last year. But Friday's attacks were unprecedented. "The Israel campaign is sweeping in scope and sophistication," said Ali Vaez, of the International Crisis Group. "We may still only be in the early stages of a prolonged operation that continues to expand, disrupting Iran's ability to either formulate or execute a response." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned his country's military operation would "continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat". Friday's strikes killed Iran's highest-ranking military officer, armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, Iranian media reported. A senior advisor to Khamenei was also wounded, state television said. Clement Therme, of the Sorbonne University, said that "to retaliate, the regime seems to be in a bind". "Either it targets US bases in the region and jeopardises its future, or it targets Israel, but we see that its military capabilities are limited," he said. The Israeli military said Iran launched around 100 drones against it, but its air defences intercepted "most" of them outside Israeli territory. - Iran's 'cataclysmic' economy - Israel, which relies on US diplomatic and military support, carried out the attack despite Trump's public urging for it to give time for diplomacy. Trump's Middle East pointman Steve Witkoff had been set to hold a sixth round of talks with Iran on Sunday in Oman. A Western diplomat earlier this year described Iran's economy as "cataclysmic", saying the country had "a gigantic need for the lifting of sanctions, reforms, a cleanup of the banking system, foreign investments". Ellie Geranmayeh, an Iran expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said the strikes were "designed to kill President Trump's chances of striking a deal to contain the Iranian nuclear programme". "It is highly unlikely that in these conditions, Iran will proceed with the Omani-mediated talks scheduled for Sunday," she added. But, after the strikes, a US official said Washington still hoped the Sunday talks would go ahead. Trump urged Iran to "make a deal, before there is nothing left", warning that otherwise there will be more "death and destruction". Vaez warned the strategy may not work. "Rather than prompt Iranian concessions it could also lead to a doubling down by Tehran," he said. "Setbacks could lead Iran to reconstitute their operations with a more determined effort to obtain a nuclear deterrent." jr-cf-dla-ah/as/rmb
