German parliament to vote again on next chancellor after Merz’s first round loss

Friedrich Merz reacts after he was not elected the new German chancellor in the first voting process at the parliament Bundestag in Berlin (AP)

German legislators are set to vote on the country’s next chancellor again, hours after conservative leader Friedrich Merz failed to win the first round in parliament in a historic defeat.

Mr Merz, the conservative leader, had been expected to smoothly win the vote to become Germany’s 10th chancellor since the Second World War.