Germany has entered uncharted political waters after Friedrich Merz failed, as designated chancellor, to secure a parliamentary majority on the first vote – a first in postwar history.

Instead of an announcement that he was Germany’s 10th chancellor, a visibly nervous parliament president Julia Klockner announced on Tuesday morning that Merz had fallen six votes short of the 316 votes he required for an absolute majority.

“He is ... not elected chancellor of the federal republic of Germany,” she continued quickly.

Sitting stony-faced in the Bundestag chamber, the chairman of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) drummed the fingers of his left hand nervously on the bench before him. The 69-year-old had made history – just not how he intended.

In Germany’s new 630-seat lower house of parliament, 316 votes are needed for an absolute majority. On Tuesday just 310 MPs voted for Merz – 18 fewer than the CDU/CSU have together with their coalition partners, the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD).

Some 307 MPs voted against Merz and three abstained. Some 10 MPs in the 630-seat parliament were not present for the vote.

News of the vote sparked shock among the CDU front bench. The party announced minutes later that it will not try for a second vote on Tuesday, but will possibly do so on Wednesday.

It has 14 days to table a second vote, where a simple majority will suffice to secure Merz the chancellery.

Even so the vote sent a shock wave through the chamber – and the country. The stock market slumped briefly as an entire day of swearing-in ceremonies – and inaugural visits to Paris and Warsaw – were put on hold.

Even before MPs left the chamber, the finger-pointing began as future coalition partners accused each other of not using the parliamentary whip to secure enough support.

“Whoever in the coalition didn’t vote for Friedrich Merz have to ask themselves just whose game they are playing,” said Jurgen Hardt, a CDU foreign policy spokesman.

“No one was missing in our ranks,” said Lars Klingbeil, SPD co-leader and parliamentary party head. “We assume full approval here. We are dependable.”

As the shock began to sink in, CDU backbenchers approached their leader cautiously to whisper words of support. Merz stood behind his chair, using its back for support. Watching the hectic talks in the chamber from the VIP balcony above, Merz’s wife, two daughters and son sat motionless as their big day out turned dark.

Former chancellor Angela Merkel, a former Merz ally turned rival, looked on impassively.

Amid the long faces, MPs from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) were visibly delighted, cheering the news of the parliamentary chaos.

“This is a good day for Germany,” said Alice Weidel, AfD co-leader, who said the failed vote was “a sign of his [Merz’s] future coalition’s government instability”.

She demanded fresh federal elections, three months after the last, after two recent opinion polls put the AfD neck-and-neck with the CDU with 25 per cent support each.

The CDU parliamentarians withdrew minutes after the vote for an emergency parliamentary party meeting, as did theSPD.

Early media reaction to the failed vote predicted worse to come. Even if Merz is elected chancellor on Wednesday, Der Spiegel predicted that “a shadow lies over this chancellorship”.