Friedrich Merz became Germany 10th post -war Chancellor On Tuesday after a historical stumbling that his efforts to revive the sinking of the nation, it can bring its boundaries, tighten his boundaries and rebuild his army, at a time when an isolated Europe is hungry for strong German leadership.
After 10 weeks as The management of the nation in anticipation After the victory of his party in February elections, Mr. Merz initially fell six votes short in the parliamentary vote for Chancellor on Tuesday morning – a defeat without a precedent in the history of modern Germany.
The voices were carried out on secret ballot papers, leaving the reasons for the failure of cloudy behind; The parties in the new management coalition had more than enough seats to choose. But some legislators speculated that a series of individual protest votes, possibly by accident, had dedicated an embarrassing setback.
Mr. Merz, 69, recovered to win in the afternoon at a second vote. Nevertheless, rival parties and external analysts warned that his credibility had suffered at home and abroad, and his opponents on Germany on the far left and the far right said that Mr. Merz had lost legitimacy.
Political observers said that the short setback could make it more difficult than expected for the new Chancellor to project strength on the world stage and to adopt critical legislation to promote his agenda. Mr. Merz had hoped for a clear voice of trust in parliament While he wants to confront the tariff threats of President Trump Against Germany’s export-heavy economy, you turn the economic of his country malaise And an aggressive Russia in the east against.
“Germany and Europe should serve as anchors of stability in a volatile worldwide environment,” said Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook, the senior vice president of Bertelsmann Stiftung, a non -party -bound foundation based in Gütersloh, Germany. But the unexpectedly delayed elections of Mr. Merz “could signal rocky times for us.”
“The trust of voters in Elite policy makers is already decreasing,” said Mrs. Ashbrook. “Self -doubt in a government is harmful in a moment like this.”
Merz was largely expected to win at the first mood, and the dissidents did not identify themselves.
But based on the composition of the parliament, there seemed to be more than a dozen of them from the party of Mr. Merz, the center-right Christian Democrats; her sister festival, the Christian Social Union; And their coalition partner, the Center-Linkse Social Democrats. The three parties have 328 seats, with 316 needed for a majority.
The coalition came behind Mr. Merz in the afternoon, with members who warned of serious consequences if there was further delay. He grabbed 15 extra voices in the second round, more than enough to secure the track.
“It is important that Germany gets a stable government, that we can start working very quickly within reliable structures, and that we work to ensure that this country is controlled strongly and well,” Lars Klingbeil of the Social -Democrats, the new Vice Chancellor of Germany, told reporters.
On Tuesday evening, various legislators said private laws that legislators from the entire coalition had probably voted for Mr. Merz and Mr Klingbeil in protest. Both men have made the factions of their own parties angry and have concluded a compromise to forge a coalition agreement, including Mr. Merz’s decision to reverse a campaign bow and to endorse a plan to relax limits for and expenditure of the government.
The laws speculated that those protesters did not know that there were enough voices against Mr. Merz to actually derail his bid.
The protests usually disappeared by noon, after strict speeches of each of the coalition leaders to their party members. Jens Spahn from the Christian Democrats told reporters that “whole Europe and perhaps the whole world” monitored the mood and his legislators appealed to “aware of that special responsibility”.
After he has won the pulpit, Mr. Merz now inherits a grim set from increasing challenges. The German economy Last yearcontinue with one half-decennium trend That is demoralized Both employees and managers. The prospects for new growth seem weak, in particular with the threats for the export -oriented production sector of Germany due to the punishing tariff measures of Mr Trump.
Mr. Trump also threatens to remove the European Defense Paraplu from America, to complicate the relations between Germany and the United States, the most important ally of the post -war era. In addition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the east, the Kremlin started which security analysts one Intentional Sabotage -Campagne Aimed at Europe.
The new Chancellor will also have to act decisively in order to tackle the worries of Germans over a decade lengthy stream to the country from the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere that were inflamed by a series of deadly attacks committed by immigrants.
And he will have to keep the extreme right-wing alternative to Germany party or AfD, that almost equalized With the party of Mr. Merz in national polls and who has received vocal support from prominent Trump aldermen Such as the billionaire Elon Musk.
The AfD has promised to fight migration, and it has received support from voters disillusioned with the old ruling class of Germany in the center left and right. It is also classified as a Extreme right-wing extremist group by German intelligence.
After his delayed victory, Mr. Merz did not waste time in those challenges. He immediately started the ceremonial tasks to hire the best leadership post in the country, he and his cabinet were sworn in after a meeting with the German president, and he would convene his first cabinet meeting at 10 p.m. local time.
On Wednesday Mr. Merz travel to Paris and Warsaw to meet important allies. He will also visit Ukraine and Brussels soon and is expected to go to Washington afterwards.
The surprise drama in the German parliament had given politicians throughout Europe about what the stumbling of Mr. Merz could mean for a continent that increasingly looks at Germany for leadership.
“Of course we need a strong government in Berlin,” said Kaja Kallas, the high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, in an interview with the German broadcaster Phoenix. “What happens in German politics, but also in his economy, has an influence on all European countries.”
German shares slid on the news of the first vote, where economists warn that it could be an ominous sign for Mr Merz’s agenda to revitalize the growth in the largest economy in Europe. The Blue Chip Index of Germany fell, led by drops in defense and energy companies that were to take advantage of the planned investment programs of the future government.
They received a lot of those losses after Mr. Merz won the second round.
There was a palpable sense of exemption in parliament after Mr. Merz won that voice. The laws stood in line to congratulate him, including some from outside his coalition, such as members of the Center-left green party. One of the first to shook his hand was Olaf Scholz, his predecessor and opponent in the last campaign, who stated in recent weeks that the transfer of power to his successor took place quickly and smoothly.
After the vote, a senior legislator was heard on the phone and said he could finally go to work.
Melissa Eddy And Clay Berlin reported contributed.
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