New Delhi, May 6 -- Conservative leader Friedrich Merz has been elected as Germany's next chancellor following a dramatic second round of voting in the Bundestag on Tuesday. The victory comes just hours after he suffered a surprising defeat in the initial ballot.

In the second vote, Merz secured 325 votes, comfortably crossing the required threshold of 316 votes in the 630-member parliament. The result marks a significant turnaround after he fell short in the first round, receiving only 310 votes-despite his coalition controlling 328 seats.

The first vote outcome shocked many in Berlin, as Merz had been widely expected to win easily. Falling six votes short raised questions about dissent within his own ranks or strategic abstentions.

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