German Chancellor Election
German conservative leader Friedrich Merz failed to secure the parliamentary majority needed to become chancellor in the first round of voting, an unexpected setback for his new coalition with the center-left Social Democrats.
Key Points
- Friedrich Merz failed to secure the majority needed to become chancellor
- The lower house of parliament has 14 days to elect Merz or another candidate
- Merz's conservatives won national elections in February with 28.5% of the vote