Germany’s conservative leader has unexpectedly fallen short of the numbers needed to form a majority in parliament to become chancellor.
Friedrich Merz needed 316 votes in the 630-seat Bundestag but only secured 310, in a significant blow to the Christian Democrat leader, two and a half months after winning Germany’s federal elections.
Two and a half months, they weren’t joking about slow German bureaucracy 😱
I don’t understand why they held a vote before they knew they had the numbers. Aren’t there negotiations with the coalition partners to make sure everyone is in agreement with the government plans?