Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius of the SPD has criticized that a second round was necessary for the election of Friedrich Merz of the CDU as the new Federal Chancellor. “That was unnecessary and superfluous, it could have been spared” he said to the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” but added: “The second round was clear. Now we have to start working. Speculating on the cause will not help now. I would like to look forward.”
The Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Manuela Schwesig of the SPD, said to the RND: “It is good that Friedrich Merz obtained the necessary majority in the second round and was elected Chancellor. We will now have a government that can get to work and get things done. This is urgently needed. The economy must be strengthened, energy prices must be reduced, housing must be made affordable and available and more must be invested in education.”
She continued: “It is not good that a second round was needed. But this is now. And now everyone must look forward. The citizens will form an opinion based on how the Chancellor improves things with the government. It comes down to content and actions.