Friedrich Merz has failed to win a vote in the Bundestag to become Germany’s chancellor, in a shock setback that torpedoes his plans for his first week in office.
The 69-year-old Christian Democrat, who won elections in February and has teamed up with the Social Democrats to form a majority government, had been due to be sworn into office on Tuesday after what was expected to be a formality.
Merz needed 316 votes in the 630-member parliament. But he only secured 310 in the secret ballot, even though the coalition partners have 328 seats between them.
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