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Friedrich Merz has failed to win an initial vote in the Bundestag to become Germany’s chancellor, in an unexpected last-minute setback.
The 69-year-old Christian Democrat, who won elections in February and has teamed up with the Social Democrats to form a majority government, needed 316 votes in the 630-member parliament. But he only secured 310, even though the coalition partners have 328 seats between them.
Parliament still has 14 days to elect a candidate with an absolute majority. Failing that, Germany’s president will appoint the new chancellor.
This is a developing story
