Merz takes oath, Klöckner causes laughter – Reactions to the Chancellor election

Frankfurter Rundschau Merz takes oath, Klöckner causes laughter – Reactions to the Chancellor election Nils Thomas Hinsberger • 8 hours • 8 minutes reading time CDU leader is Chancellor The world is riveted on Germany. Merz needs two attempts at the Chancellor election. The reactions to the historic events in the Bundestag. Update, 6:10 p.m.: In order for the second round of voting to even take place, the Bundestag first had to change its rules of procedure. This required a two-thirds majority of members. However, the alliance of CDU, CSU, and SPD could only achieve this with the help of other parties. Friedrich Merz apparently had to pay quite dearly for their approval. According to information from the Left Party parliamentary group, the CDU/CSU has agreed to revoke its incompatibility resolution, which prohibits cooperation with the Left Party. Update, 5:50 p.m.: Kai Wegner, the CDU's governing mayor in Berlin, is taking issue with his own party in his reaction to the events surrounding the chancellor election. He told ARD that there is "no time for individual power games at the expense of our country's stability." The coalition has a "duty to keep its promise." Steinmeier appoints Merz as Chancellor – the reactions Update, 5:25 p.m.: Following his official appointment as Chancellor, Friedrich Merz is on his way back to the Bundestag. There, in his first speech as head of government, he will certainly address the historic events surrounding his election as Chancellor. Update, 4:43 p.m.: Friedrich Merz is on his way to Bellevue Palace. There, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will appoint him as Germany's tenth Chancellor. The CDU leader needed two rounds of voting to do this – a "historic humiliation," as the British Telegraph commented. Friedrich Merz is Chancellor – Reactions to the Chancellor Election Update, 4:31 p.m.: It's a success. In the second attempt, the German Bundestag elects Friedrich Merz as the new Chancellor. The CDU leader tries to maintain composure. But his relief is evident, just like his party colleague, Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, when she announces the result: Merz receives 325 votes, and he thanks them "for their trust" and accepts the election. The CDU politician subsequently causes laughter in the plenary hall when she announces that the further schedule for swearing-in ceremonies, appointments, and the like "will probably also depend on traffic."