German Parliament votes against appointing Friedrich Merz as chancellor

's bid to become Germany's 10th chancellor since World War II failed in the first round of voting in parliament on Tuesday by six votes, a vote he had been widely expected to win smoothly. Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Mr Merz needed a majority of 316 out of 630 votes in a secret ballot - but he picked up 310 votes. The parties will now regroup to discuss the next step although it was not immediately clear how long the process could take.

The lower house of parliament or the Bundestag has 14 days to elect a candidate with an absolute majority. If that also fails, the constitution allows for the president to appoint the candidate who wins the most votes as chancellor, or to dissolve the Bundestag and hold a new national election. Mr Merz is seeking to take the helm of the 27-nation European Union' s most populous member after outgoing Chancellor 's government collapsed last year.

Germany has the continent's biggest economy and serves as a diplomatic heavyweight. Mr Merz's portfolio would include the war in Ukraine and the Trump administration's trade policy on top of domestic issues such as the stagnant economy and the rise of a far-right, anti-immigrant party.

The vote ame on the eve of the 80th anniversary of Germany's unconditional surrender after World War II.

The secret ballots will be cast in the restored Reichstag, where graffiti left by Soviet troops has been preserved at several places in the building.

After the first result Mr Merz left the chamber, grim-faced, for a special emergency session with by other senior members of his conservative bloc.

If he is ultimateluy elected, Mr Merz will face questions about the future of the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party, also known as AfD.

Mainstream German political parties refuse to work with it, citing the so-called "firewall" they've upheld against cooperating with far-right parties since the end of the war.

Last week, the German domestic intelligence service said it has classified AfD - which placed second in national elections in February - as a "right-wing extremist" organisation, making it subject to greater and broader surveillance.

Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution described the party as a threat to the country's democratic order, saying it "disregards human dignity" - in particular by what it called "ongoing agitation" against refugees and migrants.

The federal office's decision prompted blowback from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Vice President JD Vance over the weekend. Germany's Foreign Ministry hit back at Mr Rubio after he called on the country to undo the classification.

The domestic intelligence service's measure does not amount to a ban of the party, which can only take place through a request by either of parliament's two chambers or the federal government through the Federal Constitutional Court.

Mr Merz has not commented publicly on the intelligence service's decision.

The new coalition is led by the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, and joined by the centre-left Social Democrats, Mr Scholz's party. All three parties previously approved the coalition deal.

The coalition has a relatively modest majority, with 328 of the Bundestag's 630 seats, and aims to spur economic growth, ramp up defense spending, take a tougher approach to migration and catch up on long-neglected modernisation.

The Union and Social Democrats have governed Germany together before, in the 1960s, and then in three of the four terms of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, who led the country from 2005 to 2021.

Mr Merz's party last month announced its proposed government team, including senior lawmaker Johann Wadephul as foreign minister - a position the CDU last held in the 1960s.

Posting on X yesterday, Mr Merz said: "With @jensspahn at the helm of @cducsubt we are committed to clarity, reliability, and strong leadership in turbulent times. We are confident that he will give our group a leading voice in Parliament that will inspire trust. I look forward to working with him! (FM)."

Commenting on the result afterwards, also on X, AfD leader Alice Weidel told reporters: "This shows the weak foundation on which the small coalition of the CDU/CSU and the SPD, which was voted out by the citizens, is built".

She later told reporters Merz "should step aside and the way should be cleared for a general election".