Bild: Chancellor thriller | Kanzler-Krimi
FAZ: Merz elected on second attempt | Merz im zweiten Anlauf gewählt
Funke: „Definitely not a good start“ – Merz elected on second attempt | „Zweifelsohne kein guter Start“ – Merz erst im zweiten Anlauf gewählt
Handelsblatt: Friedrich, the second | Friedrich, der Zweite
RND: Merz shock for the economy: Uncertainty returns | Merz-Schock für die Wirtschaft: Die Unsicherheit ist zurück
SZ: Chancellor on second attempt | Kanzler im zweiten Anlauf
Tagesspiegel: Chancellor on second attempt | Kanzler im zweiten Anlauf
taz: First defeat since 1945 | Erste Niederlage seit 1945
Welt: Friedrich Merz needs two attempts – This has never happened before | Friedrich Merz braucht zwei Anläufe – Das gab es noch nie
Friedrich Merz elected chancellor on second attempt: CDU leader Merz initially failed to secure a majority in the first round of voting – a first in German history. Merz does not see his defeat in the first round as a sign of mistrust; he spoke on ARD television of an „honest day“ in parliament. However, he said he had no doubt that the coalition between the CDU/CSU and SPD would work together in a spirit of trust. SPD leader Lars Klingbeil emphasized that in the second round of voting, all members of parliament had recognized the magnitude of their responsibility. In the second round, 325 members of parliament voted for Merz, 9 more than the 316 votes required. After the election, Merz drove to Bellevue Palace to meet with Federal President Steinmeier and receive his certificate of appointment. Merz then took his oath of office in the Bundestag. The new coalition government of the CDU, CSU, and SPD has a total of 328 votes in parliament. tagesschau.de, spiegel.de, faz.net
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz wants to discuss tougher migration policies with French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Wednesday; an initial phone call with US President Donald Trump is planned for Thursday.
Government formation complete: Following the appointment of Friedrich Merz as the new chancellor, the 17 ministers were also sworn in at the Bundestag. They had previously received their certificates of appointment from Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Speaking at Bellevue Palace, Steinmeier emphasized that the government was assuming political responsibility at a time of great challenges. Whether a new beginning would be successful also depended on the citizens, he said. The first handover of offices took place that evening. tagesschau.de, zeit.de, n-tv.de
Merz settles cabinet order: As one of his first official acts, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has laid out the division of responsibilities within the government in what is known as the „organizational decree.“ The newly formed Department for Digital and State Modernization will be an additional ministry. The official order of the cabinet has also been settled. Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil is second in line after Chancellor Merz, thus assuming the role of vice chancellor. He is followed by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
Oman announces ceasefire between US and Houthis: US President Donald Trump spoke of a „surrender“ by the militia. They no longer wanted to „fight“ and would no longer attack shipping lanes in the Middle East. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi said his country had brokered the ceasefire between the Houthis and the US. Both sides agreed to refrain from further attacks against each other in the future. According to a high-ranking representative of the pro-Iranian group, the Houthis want to „first examine the announcement of the cessation of US attacks on Yemen on the ground.“ welt.de, spiegel.de, zdf.de
Terrorist group Hamas considers further talks with Israel on ceasefire and release of hostages pointless: Senior Hamas Politburo member Basim Naim left open whether Hamas would resume talks with Israel if Israel ended its blockade of aid deliveries, which has been in place for around two months. Israel accuses Hamas of selling aid supplies to the civilian population for profit in order to finance its members and weapons. Israel’s security cabinet decided to allow deliveries to the Gaza Strip again in the future, but with a mechanism to prevent Hamas from profiting from the deliveries. tagesschau.de
Ukrainian military has stabilized situation around Pokrovsk: Ukraine has regained control in some places, said the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, Olexandr Syrsky. Russia had been attacking the town for months. Pokrovsk is a logistics center in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. It is surrounded on three sides by Russian forces but is still held by Ukraine despite months of intense Russian attacks.
Russia sticks to ceasefire for World War II commemoration: However, Russian forces would respond if Ukrainian attacks were to occur, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Russia has not yet heard any statement from Kyiv indicating a willingness to comply with the three-day ceasefire announced by President Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had described a short ceasefire as pointless and proposed a 30-day truce instead.
Eastern German ministers urge faster investment: They want to represent their states‘ interests more strongly vis-à-vis the federal government and the EU. At a meeting in Berlin, they said that the east must formulate its concerns more clearly and push ahead more actively with economic development. Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister Sven Schulze called for the federal government’s 500 billion euro special fund to be used for rapid and targeted investments. The money must be used where it will have a long-term impact, for example in attracting companies to the region.
Cardinals send global appeal for peace: Shortly before the start of the papal election, the cardinals gathered in Rome called for peace efforts to be made as quickly as possible. The clergy in the Vatican said they regretted that previous efforts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and other regions had not been successful. On Tuesday morning, the cardinals gathered for what is likely to be their last general assembly. The actual conclave begins on Wednesday with a mass for the papal election; the 133 cardinals eligible to vote will enter the Sistine Chapel, where the first ballot for a new head of the church will take place in the evening. stern.de, zdf.de
Brandenburg Interior Minister Katrin Lange dismisses head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution Jörg Müller: Lange announced in Potsdam that the necessary trust for continued cooperation was no longer there. Müller was relieved of his duties with immediate effect. The position will be filled in July, until then the department will be headed by deputy director Axel Heidrich. Müller had been in office since 2020. rnd.de, stern.de
Network problem caused nationwide disruption to digital radio communications: Police, fire department, and emergency services were affected and had to temporarily switch to other means of communication. There were hardly any restrictions for the public. Emergency services remained available. Numerous base stations and control centers in various parts of the country were affected by the network problems. A hacker attack has not been ruled out. spiegel.de, faz.net
More Regional:
- NRW: Initiatives call for a ban on AfD events in schools in an open letter to the city of Cologne. wdr.de
- NRW: Right-wing violence at an all-time high, according to counseling centers. wdr.de
- Schleswig-Holstein: State wants to quickly repay unconstitutional emergency loan. ndr.de
- Lower Saxony: New climate protection strategy and climate council. n-tv.de
- Hesse: AfD politicians travel to Serbia and Croatia on their own initiative. faz.net
- Bremen: Interior Senator Ulrich Mäurer welcomes plans for drone defense in northern Germany. butenunbinnen.de
- North Rhine-Westphalia: Cologne public prosecutor’s office does not press charges against Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki; insufficient suspicion of possible false affidavits and perjury. n-tv.de
EU prepares counter-tariffs in trade dispute with US: Countermeasures are to be worked out in the coming weeks until the beginning of July, said EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic; however, a negotiated solution is clearly the preferred option. According to Sefcovic, the new US tariffs currently affect 70 percent of European exports. If other sectors are added, this figure could rise to 97 percent. The US is threatening, among other things, to impose special tariffs on pharmaceutical products and semiconductors. n-tv.de
EU Commission wants complete ban on all Russian gas imports: A two-stage approach is planned. At the end of the current year, the Commission wants to ban short-term gas purchases on the spot market. In addition, companies will no longer be allowed to conclude new contracts. By the end of 2027 at the latest, no more gas from Russia should flow into the EU. The EU Commission intends to present a legislative proposal for both steps next month. welt.de, zdf.de
EU Parliament lifts immunity of AfD member Petr Bystron: This means that investigations against him on suspicion of money laundering and bribery can continue. Bystron had made headlines in connection with allegations against the pro-Russian internet portal „Voice of Europe.“ He is accused of accepting money from Russia in connection with these allegations. Bystron has denied this. zdf.de, t-online.de, n-tv.de
German Major General Andre Denk appointed new Secretary General of the European Defense Agency: EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Kaja Kallas said in Brussels that Denk has extensive experience and a deep understanding of Europe’s defense needs. Kallas had recommended Denk for the post. She is chair of the Defense Agency, which is tasked with helping EU member states procure, develop, and use new weapons.
India and the UK agree on far-reaching free trade agreement: The government in London described the agreement as a milestone; it provides for a drastic reduction in Indian import duties on items such as whiskey, medical products, and car and aircraft parts. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his satisfaction, describing the agreement as beneficial for both sides. Negotiations on the agreement had lasted more than three years. spiegel.de, rnd.de, handelsblatt.com
Romania’s Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu takes over as acting head of government: Following the resignation of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, Predoiu will have limited powers for up to 45 days. Ciolacu resigned after far-right candidate George Simion won the first round of Sunday’s presidential election with around 41 percent of the vote. The candidate of the ruling coalition did not make it to the runoff election on May 18. zeit.de
India attacks targets in Pakistan: The army said the attacks were aimed at extremist infrastructure, including in the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir. According to Pakistani security forces, civilian targets were also hit, including two mosques. Three people were killed and several others injured. spiegel.de, faz.net
Supreme Court clears way for trans ban in US military: The Supreme Court has upheld US President Donald Trump’s order barring transgender people from serving in the military. The order may be implemented while the dispute continues in court. A lower court had previously ruled that the exclusion of transgender people violated the constitutional requirement of equal treatment for all people. derstandard.at, morgenpost.de
More news:
- Serbia: Protesting students demand new elections. zeit.de
- Turkey: Opposition refuses to give up after Ekrem Imamoglu’s arrest. spiegel.de
- Austria: Economic downturn has accelerated. diepresse.com
- Netherlands: Torch explodes at Donald Tusk’s feet. euronews.com
- France: Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa visits despite being on EU terror list. nau.ch
- France: Majority in favor of military service. handelsblatt.com
- Lithuania: Registered partnerships for same-sex couples. derstandard.de
- Spain: Government wants to shorten the legal working week. deutschlandfunk.de
- Belgium: Foreign investors have bought up large amounts of government bonds. vrt.be
- Congo: According to insiders, the government and M23 rebels are back in talks. derstandard.at
Germans are buying significantly more Fairtrade products: On average, each consumer spent 35 euros on fair trade food and handicrafts. The association emphasized that the positive trend of recent years is continuing despite the difficult economic situation. The amount rose by around 13 percent compared to 2023, to 2.9 billion euros. The visibility of fair trade products in supermarkets and discount stores is also increasing. stern.de
More from Business, Tech and Science:
- Strong increase in new registrations of electric cars; Tesla remains weak. n-tv.de
- Gubor merges with Polish confectionery manufacturer. handelsblatt.com
- Surprising change of leadership at DAX-listed Vonovia. handelsblatt.com
- Commentary: Confirmed right-wing extremist – and now live to the AfD uebermedien.de
- What ARD and ZDF want to achieve at OMR: ARD seeks conversation on digital transformation, ZDF wants dialogue with young audiences new-business.de
- North Rhine-Westphalia: Three initiatives win State Prize for Cultural Education wdr.de
- Noise complaints: Dispute between Cologne’s Volksbühne theater and a neighbor has been settled ksta.de
- Frankfurt am Main: Opera house of the year plans to stage rarities again ksta.de
- Brazil: Child star Millena Brandão dies at just eleven years old – cause of death raises questions t-online.de
- 115-year-old British woman is the oldest person in the world – her secret is simple – „Never argue with anyone! I listen to what they say and then do what I want.“ web.de
- Christian Lindner babysits: Franca Lehfeldt is back in the spotlight n-tv.de
The Germany List, founded by longtime American residents Lindsey Küster and Eleanor Mayrhofer, was created to make life easier for internationals living in Germany.
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- Risk of distortion of competition? Fan alliance calls for penultimate match day to be played in parallel. kicker.de
- Mega transfer taking shape – Wirtz „only“ wants to move to FC Bayern. n-tv.de
- FC Liverpool reportedly interested in Stuttgart’s Stiller. sportschau.de
- Alpine wants to get rid of Doohan: Next Formula 1 driver faces sudden dismissal. n-tv.de
- Banned after betting scandal – New snooker world champion Zhao: Controversial and celebrated. kicker.de
So much for hospitality: Munich is considered the unfriendliest city in the world rnd.de