Friedrich Merz failed to become German Chancellor in the first round of voting in the German parliament on Tuesday, after failing to secure enough support. The Christian Democratic Union candidate, who won the snap election, needed 316 votes out of 630 in the Bundestag, but only received 310.
The failure is considered unprecedented in modern German history, writes A2 CNN, as it occurs for the first time since 1949. The Bundestag now has 14 days to vote for Merz or another candidate as Chancellor.
According to the German Constitution, there are no limits on the number of votes that can be held, but if no candidate is elected with an absolute majority, a Chancellor can be appointed even without achieving one.
Merz's failure is blamed on some members of the Social Democratic Party, with which the CDU formed a coalition after the election. Not all Social Democrats are happy with the deal, but what happened on Tuesday will have consequences for the coalition.
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel was also present at the session. (A2 Televizion)
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