This is how the chancellor’s election on Tuesday runs
« The duration of a government formation can be an indication of the difficulty of its establishment, » has the scientific service of the Bundestag found in an expertise. Measured by the coalition of the Union and SPD Not so bad. It is usually counted from the day of the election to swearing in the Federal Cabinet – if everything goes according to plan, Schwarz -Rot comes to 73 days. This is exactly the period that the traffic light needed and almost 100 days less than the government formation after the 2017 Bundestag election, which resulted in a grand coalition after 171 days.
It is counted until swearing in the Federal Cabinet and not until the election of the Chancellor, because it can already be elected, while the coalition negotiations on the cabinet composition are still running. That was the case in 1953 and 1957. This year, however, everything looks like both the designated chancellor Friedrich Merz ((CDU) when his cabinet colleagues are given their appointment certificates in one day. The new government would thus be half a year after the traffic light coalition burst.
CDU boss Merz is the only candidate
With the SPD’s membership vote, the last hurdle for black and red alliance fell on Wednesday. It is now to SPD leader Lars Klingbeil to complete his party’s list of ministers over the weekend. He himself as Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister and Boris Pistorius as Minister of Defense are set. The rest is still open – seven posts.
On Monday Klingbeil introduces the result of his considerations. Afterwards, the party leaders of the CDU, CSU and SPD – Merz, Markus Söder and Klingbeil – sign the coalition agreement in the old gasometer in Berlin -Schöneberg. The Bundestag factions meet and choose their parliamentary group tips. In the evening the outgoing Chancellor becomes Olaf Scholz adopted with a large tap prank in front of the Ministry of Defense.
Tuesday is all about the chancellor’s election. CDU boss Merz is the only candidate. Schwarz-Rot has only a lead of twelve votes for the necessary majority of chancellor. In theory, Merz can fail in the first ballot, but that is very unlikely.
The election will be opened at nine o’clock on Tuesday and can be followed in the Parliament’s live stream, among others. The MPs are called in particular and then give up their vote. The last time, when Olaf Scholz was elected, the result was announced at 10.16 a.m. Since the Bundestag is 100 parliamentarians smaller, it should be faster this time.
Merz then drives back to the Reichstag building and puts his oath off there
If Merz combines the required 316 votes, he will then rush the almost two kilometers to Bellevue Castle with a wagon column and will receive his certificate of appointment by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at 10:30 a.m. With this act, Scholz’s chancellorship ends.
Merz then drives back to the Reichstag building and takes off his oath of office there. Then he officially names the ministers. They then also go to Bellevue Castle to receive their appointment certificates from the Federal President. Steinmeier will give a speech on this occasion.
On Wednesday, Merz is already fully entering government transactions as the new Chancellor. His inaugural visit traditionally leads him to Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron. Then it continues to Poland.
