Conservative leader Friedrich Merz elected Chancellor in second round after initial failed bid to form government with Social Democrats. CDU/CSU coalition won February’s federal election and formed a deal with Social Democrats to boost economy through measures like corporate tax changes and energy price adjustments, as well as increased support for Ukraine and military expenditures.
A total of 325 lawmakers surpassed the 316 needed to approve his appointment. Shortly after, the president approved him, and he is set to be sworn in at the German federal parliament. Earlier, Merz fell six votes short, adding to the country’s uncertainty.
Newly elected Chancellor Merz will lead a cabinet of mostly new appointees with private sector backgrounds. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is the only remaining minister from the previous government. Merz, a former European legislator, is untested in executive leadership, making his first government post as Chancellor.
In the early 2000s, Merz competed with Angela Merkel for leadership roles in the CDU and CDU-CSU parliamentary group. He chaired and later became deputy chairman of CDU-CSU but left in 2004. Merz, a qualified lawyer, entered politics after working as a judge and then a lawyer at Mayer Brown LLP. He also held key positions at BlackRock Germany and HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt.
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