A lawmaker for Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) has called for unity as lawmakers were set to vote in a second secret ballot to elect conservative Friedrich Merz as the country's new chancellor, after a historic defeat in a first round earlier on Tuesday.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Friedrich Merz's unprecedented first-round failure in the vote to make him German chancellor on Tuesday gave a boost to the far-right AfD, which just days ago was reeling from being officially labelled an extremist threat to democracy.

Germany’s Merz confirmed as chancellor in second parliamentary vote after first round shock defeat - New leader suffered a humiliating loss in the first round – falling six votes short of an absolute