His countrymen, he declares, will have to ‘engage’ with the AfD, ‘factually and on substance.’

Germany’s Friedrich Merz has formally become chancellor at the second attempt, hours after an unprecedented defeat signaled deep discontent within his coalition.

Conservative leader Friedrich Merz has been elected as new chancellor in the second round of voting in the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament. Merz's failure to win enough support earlier today was the first time in Germany's postwar history that a candidate missed a majority in the first round of voting.