Breaking: The German parliament rejects Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Merz only got 310 votes which did not reach the 316 required to be confirmed as Chancellor of Germany.

He will probably be confirmed in a later vote, but clearly some parliament members are sending a signal.

Source: DW

@randahl ouch, this don't look too good for the future, a lot more policies may get rejected...
@randahl first time in the history of the federal republic of germany that a chancellor is not elected in the first round.
@oliof How will they correct this? If the vote is anonymous, who will they pressure?
@randahl in the second / third attempt, a simple majority will be sufficient. So if the 310 that did vote for the chancellor stick with their vote, it's a delay (plus the complete loss of face for Merz of course), but not an immediate re-election trigger.

@oliof That's not true.

When there is only one candidate in the second attempt, a 50% majority is required. Other candidates can be proposed by 25% of the parliament. With more than one candidate, a simple majority will be sufficent.

In the third attempt a simple majority will be sufficient, but the president can still deny to appoint the chancellor.

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg/art_63.html

@randahl

Art 63 GG - Einzelnorm

@kontrollierterWahnwitz I wouldn't say what I said wasn't true, but it was a bit too condensed. Thanks for the full explainer! @randahl
@oliof Did not want to be harsh, just to be as precise as possible. It is a new situation for all of us. @randahl
@kontrollierterWahnwitz no, it's good to be precise, we're fine (-: @randahl
@randahl @oliof they collectively decide how to proceed, if they agree to a new vote, they vote within 3 days - that is what happened. Other scenarios could have been they need to take a vote if 2/3 would be sufficiant or if the next in line will be voted on if no solution is found within 14 days a new election will take place. They all wanted to avoid this, as in the current climate the results would be very much different.

@randahl

Or holding out for a better offer.

@randahl Seems like its the SPDs leftists that wants AfD to be forbid. Merz knows what to do.
@randahl It is not very hard to imagine who is sending the "signal" - his own members that want a coalition with the extreme right.
@flavius_b @randahl it indeed is very likely a signal from inside his party, but NOT because they want a coalition with the far right - they made it clear they will not support this. Also earlier the joined strategy & commitment plan between the coalition parties has been issued BEFORE the vote & EXCLUDED the AfD. Merz is a very polarizing, unlikable & minimal focused polititian without sense for future consequences, that is why he failed so many times: get a grip, focus, this is the message.
@randahl He lost the election for the leader of his party twice in the last 2 or 3 years and only won it in the third election. He got the second-worst election result for his party in the last election and now lost the (first) election in the parliament. What a loser. He cannot unite, only divide people. No wonder Merkel doesn't like him.