The new German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, made his first international trip to France after a vote in the German parliament where he did not obtain the necessary votes to assume the position in the first round. Merz required two-thirds of the votes and had to resort to a second vote to be elected.
In his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, differences in stance regarding the role of the United States in European defense were evident. While Merz emphasized Washington's indispensable commitment, Macron insisted on the need for greater European autonomy and expressed distrust towards Donald Trump.
After Merz's failure in the first vote, the coalition backing him showed its fragility by not achieving the necessary votes. This symbolic political setback revealed resistance from some sectors towards Merz, calling into question Germany's political leadership in Europe and the future of the country's traditional parties.
Surprisingly, polls show that the main opposition force, the far-right AfD party, has the highest voting intention after the federal elections. This internal political landscape is not favorable for the historic German parties, which now face an uncertain scenario with the fragility of the governing coalition and the rise of opposition political forces.
