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

Lars Klingbeil, believes conservative Friedrich Merz will garner enough support from lawmakers to become chancellor in a second round of voting, after falling short by just six votes hours earlier. Klingbeil said Merz's conservative bloc and the SPD - which agreed to form Germany's next coalition government - as well as the opposition Greens and The Left party had agreed to request a second round of voting to take place in the afternoon.

Friedrich Merz's bid to become Germany's 10th chancellor has unexpectedly failed in the first round of parliamentary voting. Mr Merz, leader of the country's conservative party, needed a majority of 316 out of 630 votes in a secret ballot. He received 310 - falling short by just six votes.