<p>Berlin: German conservative leader <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/friedrich-merz">Friedrich Merz</a> failed to garner the parliamentary majority needed to become chancellor on Tuesday in a first round of voting in an unexpected setback for his new coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats.</p><p>Merz, 69, who led his CDU/CSU conservatives to win a federal election in February and since secured a coalition deal with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), won just 310 votes in the lower house of parliament, Bundestag President Julia Kloeckner said. He needed 316 to secure a majority.</p>.'A Great Emboldening': Aspiring authoritarians are inspired by Trump.<p>Kloeckner said she was interrupting the parliamentary session so that the parliamentary groups could consult on how to proceed.</p><p>The lower house of parliament, or Bundestag, now has 14 days to elect Merz or another candidate chancellor with an outright majority - and could attempt another vote already on Tuesday.</p><p>Merz's conservatives won national elections in February with 28.5% of the vote but need at least one partner to form a majority government.</p><p>On Monday they signed a coalition deal with the centre-left Social Democrats, who won just 16.4%, their worst result in German post-war history.</p>
<p>Berlin: German conservative leader <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/friedrich-merz">Friedrich Merz</a> failed to garner the parliamentary majority needed to become chancellor on Tuesday in a first round of voting in an unexpected setback for his new coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats.</p><p>Merz, 69, who led his CDU/CSU conservatives to win a federal election in February and since secured a coalition deal with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), won just 310 votes in the lower house of parliament, Bundestag President Julia Kloeckner said. He needed 316 to secure a majority.</p>.'A Great Emboldening': Aspiring authoritarians are inspired by Trump.<p>Kloeckner said she was interrupting the parliamentary session so that the parliamentary groups could consult on how to proceed.</p><p>The lower house of parliament, or Bundestag, now has 14 days to elect Merz or another candidate chancellor with an outright majority - and could attempt another vote already on Tuesday.</p><p>Merz's conservatives won national elections in February with 28.5% of the vote but need at least one partner to form a majority government.</p><p>On Monday they signed a coalition deal with the centre-left Social Democrats, who won just 16.4%, their worst result in German post-war history.</p>