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.

BERLIN—Germany faced a political crisis after Friedrich Merz failed to secure enough support in parliament to be confirmed as the country’s next chancellor in a first round of voting, triggering fresh uncertainty in Europe.

Merz has been widely expected to become the leader of Europe's largest economy following Germany's federal election in February.