Germanys Merz becomes chancellor on 2nd ballot after initial defeat – National [Video]

Friedrich Merz succeeded Tuesday 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 conservative leader had been expected to smoothly win the vote to become Germany’s 10th chancellor since World War II. No other postwar candidate for chancellor has failed to win on the first ballot.

Merz received 325 votes in the second ballot.

He needed a majority of 316 out of 630 votes but only received 310 in the first round — well short of the 328 seats held by his coalition.

Because the votes were secret ballots, it was not immediately clear — and might never be known — who had defected from Merz’s camp.

Merz’s coalition is led by his center-right Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union. They are joined by the center-left Social Democrats led by outgoing Chancellor Olaf …