To accomplish that task, he will need to repair ties with the U.S. and allies, end an immigration crisis and kick-start the sluggish German economy.

Friedrich Merz's unprecedented first-round failure in the vote to make him German chancellor on Tuesday gave a boost to the far-right AfD, which just days ago was reeling from being officially labelled an extremist threat to democracy.

Conservative Merz becomes 10th chancellor after successfully forming coalition with Social Democrats, receiving parliamentary approval - Anadolu Ajansı