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Friedrich Merz Sworn In as Germany’s 10th Chancellor.

Appointment | Dated: 09 May 2025

On May 6, 2025, Joachim-Friedrich Martin Josef Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and a seasoned lawyer, was elected as the 10th Chancellor of Germany. He secured 325 votes out of 630 seats in the second round of voting in the Bundestag, crossing the required majority threshold.

🎯 Key Highlights:

  • - In the first round of the secret ballot, Friedrich Merz fell short by six votes, receiving only 310 votes, while 316 votes were required for a simple majority to win the chancellorship.
  • - Following his victory in the second round, the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, officially approved Friedrich Merz as the new Chancellor of Germany in a formal ceremony held at the Bundestag in Berlin.
  • - Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which won the February 2025 election in alliance with the Social Democrats, formed a coalition with a combined strength of 328 seats in the Bundestag. Notably, Merz became the first Chancellor in Germany’s history to initially lose a Bundestag vote before securing the position in a subsequent round. He also holds the distinction of being the oldest individual to assume the office of Chancellor since Konrad Adenauer, Germany’s first post-war head of government.

💡 Other Important Facts:

  • (i) Friedrich Merz, born on 11 November 1955 in Brilon, North-Rhine Westphalia, West Germany, served in the German Army before entering politics.
  • (ii) He was a Member of Parliament from 1989 to 1994 and then served in the Bundestag from 1994 to 2009, after which he took a break to pursue a legal career, becoming senior counsel at Mayer Brown and serving on various corporate boards.
  • (iii). Merz returned to active politics in 2018 and became the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in 2021.

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

Recently, who was sworn in as Germany's 10th Chancellor?

Correct Answer: Friedrich Merz

🚀 Quick Recap:

About Germany

  • President : Frank-Walter Steinmeir
  • Capital: Berlin