Conservative Merz elected German chancellor after initial debacle

6 May 2025, 11:01 am

1 min read

Incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz receives his certificate of appointment from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier during a ceremony at Bellevue Palace in Berlin, Germany May 6, 2025. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

Reuters was more than half a minute ahead of the competition in reporting that German conservative leader Friedrich Merz failed to secure enough parliamentary votes to become chancellor. He was eventually elected chancellor, but his initial failure to win enough votes was an unprecedented snub in post-war Germany.