Conservative party leader Friedrich Merz has been elected chancellor of Germany, just hours after his historic defeat in the first round of parliamentary elections.
Mr Merz, 69, who succeeded Olaf Scholz, has promised to focus on European unity and the continent's security amid the new Trump administration and Russia's conflict with Ukraine.
Mr Merz's two-party alliance “Union” emerged as the strongest force in Germany's elections on February 23.
He then approached the Social Democrats, Mr Scholz's centre-left party, with a proposal to form a coalition with a parliamentary majority.
He had already pushed for more military spending and faced mounting pressure to complete the deal after US President Donald Trump's announcement of deep tariffs caused major market disruptions.
On Tuesday, Mr Merz needed a majority of 316 of the 630 votes in parliament, but he won only 310 in the first round. Because the vote was secret, it was not immediately clear – and may never be known – who had left Mr Merz's group.
In the second round, he received 325 votes.
As chancellor, Mr Merz will have to fill a leadership vacuum and forge a coherent response to recent changes in US policy that have led to tensions in the transatlantic alliance.
Mr Merz, a legal expert whose advancement was halted by former Chancellor Angela Merkel in the early 2000s and who even withdrew from active politics for a time, has been a latecomer to the top job.
Despite his political experience, he will head the chancellery without having any previous experience in government.
Ms Merkel described Mr Merz as an outstanding speaker and praised his leadership aspirations, although she noted that this had become a problem in their relationship.
“We are almost the same age. … We grew up very differently, and this was more an opportunity than an obstacle,” she wrote in her memoir, Freedom.
“But there was one problem from the very beginning: we both wanted to be leaders,” she added.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
