In headlines and political agendas of the past weeks, Friedrich Merz was already the new German chancellor – and, after considerable drama, he now is. During a first parliamentary vote on Tuesday morning, Merz unexpectedly failed to secure the necessary number of votes to be confirmed in the post. Despite the nominal 328-seat majority held by his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and their coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD), only 310 MPs backed him in the first round – six short of the 316 required.
According to German media, this is the first time in history that a chancellor-designate had faced such a setback. However, a second vote held later today saw Merz approved, averting more confusion and embarrassment for the coalition. Still, the failed first round came as a shock and shook the facade of stability carefully painted by the parties.
The CDU and SPD have recently agreed on a cooperation program featuring what can only be described as a standard set of centrist promises: corporate tax cuts, vague pledges to reduce energy prices and taxes on middle- and low-incomes, and more of the same. The program also includes continuing an aggressive rearmament agenda in line with previous SPD-backed plans and wider European trends, as well as stricter anti-migrant policies, now a common feature in the playbook of neoliberal parties trying to recapture votes from the far right.
Read more: German elections: the far right and militarism advance
The far right in Germany, embodied in this case by the Alternative for Germany (AfD), met Tuesday’s first vote with glee and immediately called for a snap election. Recent polls place the AfD ahead of the CDU, and party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla are undoubtedly making the most of that.
Only days before, the AfD was designated as an extremist organization by Germany’s domestic intelligence services, which could subject it to more surveillance. The move drew criticism from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who called it “tyranny in disguise,” continuing the trend of Trump-aligned figures publicly backing the AfD. Within Germany, however, many political parties supported the designation, citing the AfD’s xenophobic positions and ties to fascist currents.
While a sizable portion of these reactions has suggested the next step should be a formal ban on the AfD – a long and difficult legal process – others argue that it is critical to confront the party politically. This would mean offering solutions to people’s everyday concerns like housing and job quality. “More importantly, we need to confront the AfD politically and cut off the roots that allow it to grow,” wrote Die Linke’s Ines Schwerdtner on social media. “Antifa means the welfare state.”
While Merz ended up as chancellor in the end, Tuesday’s vote showed that the mainstream political establishment in Europe is not in the position to promise protections from dangers posed by the far right. Without a break from the current agenda, Germany should brace for many more turbulent days in parliament.
