On Tuesday, Conservative leader Friedrich Merz was officially sworn in as the 10th Chancellor of Germany. He took the oath of office before President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Merz’s appointment follows his victory in a second round of parliamentary vote, after his side failed to secure the majority in the first round.
He initially fell six votes short of the absolute majority he needed. This failure is a significant blow to his prestige and an unprecedented failure in post-war German history.
Merz leads the center-right alliance of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU), which emerged victorious in February’s federal elections. His coalition with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) was announced after weeks of negotiations.
The coalition government has outlined a broad economic revival plan, including corporate tax cuts and reduced energy prices. It also pledged increased defense spending and stronger support for Ukraine in response to ongoing geopolitical tensions.
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