Merz, 69, led his CDU/CSU bloc to a win in the February federal election and recently finalized a coalition agreement with the SPD. Despite this, he received only 310 votes in the initial round of voting—six short of the 316 needed for a parliamentary majority, according to Bundestag President Julia Kloeckner.

Following the result, Kloeckner announced a pause in proceedings to allow party factions to confer on next steps. The Bundestag now has up to 14 days to elect a chancellor with an absolute majority. A second vote could take place as early as later Tuesday.

Although Merz’s conservative alliance secured the most votes in the election, with 28.5%, it lacks the numbers to govern alone. Their new partners, the SPD, recorded only 16.4%, marking their poorest performance in Germany’s post-war era.