Germany's Merz seeks election as chancellor in second vote after debacle

Designated German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) reacts on the day of a session of the German lower house of parliament Bundestag, to elect the new German chancellor, in Berlin, Germany May 6, 2025. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's parliament will hold a second vote on Tuesday on backing Friedrich Merz as chancellor after the veteran conservative failed to secure enough support in a first round, throwing politics in Europe's largest economy into disarray.

The Bundestag lower house is set to reconvene around 1515 local (1315 GMT) to hold a second vote on Merz, said Jens Spahn, parliamentary group leader of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc.