Chancellor Friedrich Merz seeks an absolute majority with the coalition's own votes in the Bundestag vote on the controversial pension law. He targets the so-called chancellor majority of 316 votes. The Union-SPD coalition plans to proceed independently of the Left party's stance.
The vote on the pension package is scheduled for Friday in the German Bundestag. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) stated after a meeting with the state premiers in Berlin that he aims for a chancellor majority. "We have 630 members in the German Bundestag. The majority is 316. We have 328 and I would wish for a result between 316 and 328," he said.
In reality, the coalition would only need 284 votes due to the Left party's announced abstention with 64 members, as abstentions are not counted. However, Union and SPD leaders seek a majority of the votes cast, independent of the Left's behavior. In roll-call votes, some MPs are often absent; for example, with 620 present, 311 votes would suffice.
Merz is the first senior coalition politician to explicitly target the 316-vote chancellor majority following the Left's abstention announcement. He expressed confidence: "And I think all the talks we're having, that the faction leader has with colleagues in the parliamentary group, indicate that we can achieve that." The CDU, CSU, and SPD coalition holds 328 seats and seeks a solid internal majority to pass the law without external support.