First failed vote highlights Germany’s new head of government has a thin majority to deliver an ambitious programme

It was the first time in Germany’s postwar history that a chancellor-designate has failed to win an absolute majority.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Merz on his election and expressed hope for stronger German leadership on the global stage. “We sincerely hope that Germany will continue to grow stronger and that we will see even more German leadership in European and transatlantic affairs.