Friedrich Merz will become German chancellor after winning a vote in the Bundestag, following an awkward initial stalemate that plunged Berlin into political chaos, Politico reports.
The conservative leader, weakened by an unprecedented first-round defeat, secured 325 votes in a dramatic second round — just above the 316 needed.
The 69-year-old now takes the helm of a fragile coalition between the conservative bloc and the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The coalition will have one of the narrowest majorities in parliament since World War II, with just 52 percent of the seats.
The rare second vote (no future chancellor in post-war German history has previously failed in the Bundestag after reaching a coalition deal) became possible after four parliamentary factions—including the Greens and the Left—agreed to bypass standard procedural delays, allowing parliament to reconvene just hours after the shock defeat.
Merz’s eventual success came after intense party pressure and emergency closed-door meetings throughout the afternoon.
