Chancellor election of Friedrich Merz on Tuesday, May 6, 2025: This is how the election will proceed
On May 6, 2025, Friedrich Merz (CDU) is to be elected Chancellor by the Bundestag. The future coalition partners, CDU, CSU, and SPD, hold a narrow majority in parliament with 328 of the 630 seats.
The election of the Federal Chancellor follows strict constitutional procedures. We explain how the Chancellor election works.
Stay up to date on current developments and background information on the formation of the government.
The Federal Chancellor is elected by the German Bundestag . All members of the Bundestag are eligible to vote. The election takes place on the proposal of the Federal President , who first holds talks with the parliamentary groups to select a candidate capable of gaining a majority.
The election of the Federal Chancellor is enshrined in Article 63 of the Basic Law . This article describes in detail the procedure, the required majorities, and the role of the Federal President.
After a federal election, the newly elected Bundestag holds its constituent session no later than 30 days after the election . Following this, the formal process for electing the Federal Chancellor begins.
During this time, the parties conduct coalition negotiations to achieve a majority in parliament. The election of the Federal Chancellor depends directly on these political agreements: Only those who have the support of an absolute majority of the members of parliament can be elected.
Depending on the majority situation, the election of the Chancellor takes place in several phases :
- Ballot: The Bundestag votes on the Federal President's proposal without debate. The person who receives an absolute majority of the Bundestag's members (currently at least 316 out of 630 votes) is elected.
- Ballot: If no absolute majority is achieved in the first round of voting, the Bundestag has another opportunity to elect a Chancellor with an absolute majority within 14 days.
- Ballot: If no election is held within this period, a second ballot will be held immediately, in which a relative majority is sufficient. The Federal President can then decide whether to appoint the candidate or dissolve the Bundestag. In this case , new elections must be held within 60 days .
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The election of Friedrich Merz as Federal Chancellor is scheduled for Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in the Bundestag. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner is preparing to convene the session for this date, as announced on April 14.
Constitutionally, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, as mentioned above, must propose a candidate for election. His nomination of Friedrich Merz is considered a formality.
If Merz receives an absolute majority of at least 316 votes in the Bundestag, he will then be officially appointed Chancellor by the Federal President. Since the CDU/CSU and SPD together hold 328 seats , a successful first round of voting is realistic.
Following the successful election, the Federal Chancellor is appointed by the Federal President , officially beginning his or her term of office . The Chancellor then takes the oath of office before the Bundestag. The Federal Chancellor then proposes the Federal Ministers , who are also appointed by the Federal President and sworn in before the Bundestag.
How often can a Chancellor be re-elected?
The Basic Law does not stipulate a limit on the term of office of the Federal Chancellor. A Chancellor can therefore be re-elected multiple times as long as he or she receives the necessary majority in the Bundestag.
How long is the term of office of the Federal Chancellor?
The term of office of the Federal Chancellor is not fixed, but is linked to the legislative period of the German Bundestag – which, according to the Basic Law, lasts four years (Article 39 GG). If a new Bundestag is elected, the Chancellor's regular term of office also ends. However, the Chancellor remains in office in an acting capacity until a successor is elected and appointed (Article 69 of the Basic Law).
Who can become Chancellor?
In practice, candidates for chancellor are almost always nominated from the ranks of experienced politicians – usually with parliamentary group, ministerial, or party leadership experience. There is no formal educational requirement, no university degree, no professional experience, and no "political career ladder" that must be met to be eligible to hold the office of head of government. Anyone who has the right to stand for election to the Bundestag, i.e., is at least 18 years old and holds German citizenship, is eligible. It is not necessary to be a member of the Bundestag or a party.
Does a party have to win the federal election to be allowed to nominate the chancellor?
The election of the Federal Chancellor does not depend directly on the election result of a single party – but rather on who can command a majority in the Bundestag. This means that the Bundestag, i.e., the parliament, elects the Chancellor, not the people directly. Therefore, the decisive factor is not which party receives the most votes or seats in the federal election, but rather who can command an absolute majority of the members of parliament (currently: at least 316 of 630 seats). This majority is usually achieved through coalition negotiations between several parties.
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