Friedrich Merz failed to secure the chancellorship in his first vote attempt, marking an unprecedented event in German political history. The CDU/CSU-SPD coalition candidate received 310 votes, six short of the required 316-vote majority, triggering immediate speculation about coalition defectors. After initial confusion and a parliamentary break, a second vote was scheduled for the same afternoon.

By early afternoon, Merz succeeded in the second ballot and was promptly sworn in by President Steinmeier. The extraordinary two-round election process dominated all coverage, with commentators analyzing the implications of this "belly flop" start for his chancellorship.

This political drama occurred against the backdrop of continuing fallout from the AfD's classification as "definitively right-wing extremist" and Trump's administration cutting funding for Harvard University. Late evening reports shifted focus to India conducting military strikes against Pakistan following a terrorist attack.