Germany’s far-right AfD calls for fresh elections after Merz fails to be elected chancellor in first vote – Europe live

Friedrich Merz is facing a challenging path to becoming Germany's next chancellor after securing only 310 votes out of the required 316 in the first round. Despite efforts to maintain party cohesion through secret ballots and delayed result counting, his slim majority may require convincing other parties like SPD, FDP, and Greens to form a viable government. Merkel's CDU/SPD coalition is cautious about altering alliances, raising potential resistance during the process.