Friedrich Merz has succeeded in his bid to become the next German chancellor during a second vote in parliament, hours after he suffered a historic defeat in the first round.

The Bundestag has elected the CDU/CSU bloc leader Friedrich Merz as Germany’s new federal chancellor, replacing Social Democrat Olaf Scholz. Merz was elected by the Bundestag on the second attempt. In the first round,

Mr. Merz needed two rounds of voting to become chancellor after a surprising defeat in Parliament hours earlier that threatened to hobble his new government.