Germany explains three ways to replace the chancellor — Deutsche Welle
Germany is discussing the possibility of replacing Chancellor Friedrich Merz amid record-low support for him. According to the Deutschlandtrend poll conducted by Infratest-Dimap for ARD in early September, only 13% of respondents gave a positive assessment of the head of government's work. Deutsche Welle writes about the mechanisms for replacing the chancellor provided for by the Basic Law.
An additional factor in criticism of Merz was the defeat of his Christian Democratic Union in state parliamentary elections in Saxony-Anhalt in early September. The CDU's result there was halved compared with the 2021 elections. The article notes that criticism of the chancellor is also being voiced within his party.
Chancellor's resignation
The first option is the chancellor's voluntary resignation. This does not necessarily mean the end of the governing coalition's work: after Willy Brandt's resignation in May 1974, the Social Democratic Party and the Free Democratic Party agreed to preserve their alliance. Ten days later, the Bundestag elected Finance Minister Helmut Schmidt as chancellor.
Electing a new head of government requires an absolute majority of the Bundestag's total membership — the so-called chancellor majority. According to DW's assessment, Merz currently shows no intention of leaving office.
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Constructive vote of no confidence
The second mechanism is a constructive vote of no confidence. It provides for a parliamentary majority to simultaneously support a new candidate for chancellor. Such a scenario occurred in 1982, when the Free Democratic Party stopped supporting Helmut Schmidt's government and, together with the CDU/CSU, elected Helmut Kohl as chancellor.
In Merz's case, the article calls such a development unlikely. The CDU/CSU and the Social Democratic Party do not seek to end the coalition, and there is no clear rival to Merz. North Rhine-Westphalia Minister-President Hendrik Wüst is mentioned among possible successors, but he has taken no steps to put forward his candidacy.
Vote of confidence and early elections
The third option is linked to a vote of confidence in the chancellor and the government. In the event of defeat, the chancellor may ask Germany's president to dissolve the Bundestag and call new elections. The president is not obliged to agree, although they usually do.
Merz has already stated that he sees no point in initiating a vote of confidence. There are also no signs of a large-scale departure of lawmakers from the governing coalition. According to DW, neither the Social Democratic Party nor the CDU/CSU is interested in early elections during a period of low ratings.
