German parliament to vote on Merz as new chancellor May 6
BERLIN
German MPs will gather on May 6 to elect Friedrich Merz as the country's new chancellor after his conservative CDU/CSU bloc sealed a coalition agreement with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD).
"The president of the German Bundestag, Julia Kloeckner, is preparing to convene the German Bundestag for the election of the federal chancellor... on Tuesday, May 6," the assembly said in a statement yesterday.
Germany's next leader, the conservative Merz, vowed on April 9 to "move the country forward again" by boosting the economy and defence as he presented a deal to launch his coalition government by early next month.
Following the February election victory of his CDU/CSU alliance, Merz quickly struck a deal to forge a new government with SPD of the now caretaker Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
"The coalition agreement is a signal of a new beginning... for our country," said Merz last week, whose party won the elections with 28.5 percent of the vote.
In their 144-page coalition contract, the two big centrist parties pledged to "significantly" boost defense spending amid growing concerns about U.S. commitment to European security under Trump.
Presenting the deal, Merz pledged that Germany would "reform and invest to keep Germany stable, make it safer and make it economically stronger again", adding that "Europe can rely on Germany".
He also pledged that his government would "largely end irregular migration" and promised a "repatriation offensive" after an election campaign marked by a bitter debate on migration and a surge in support for the far-right AfD.
