Bundestag confirmed Friedrich Merz as Germany's new chancellor in a successful second vote after he unexpectedly lost an initial round earlier on Tuesday. Merz won 325 votes in favour — higher than the 316 required.

For the first time since the founding of the Federal Republic, two rounds of voting were necessary to elect a chancellor. After failing to secure an absolute majority in the first round on Tuesday, the president of the Christian Democratic Union was finally installed.

Friedrich Merz's loss in the Bundestag election was a surprise. He was considered the favorite since his party won Germany’s federal election in February.