Merz Elected German Chancellor in 2nd Vote After Falling Short in 1st Vote

A cornerstone of Merz’s campaign was to uphold Germany’s strict constitutional borrowing limit known as the debt brake.

German Chancellor designate Friedrich Merz of the German Christian Democrats (CDU) is flanked by his colleague Philipp Amthor (R) as he returns for a second vote on his election at a special session of the Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, on May 6, 2025. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Conservative leader Friedrich Merz initially failed on Tuesday to gain enough votes to be elected chancellor by the German Parliament.

Hours later, however, in a dramatic second round, Merz rallied to secure 325 votes and formally claim the chancellorship.