Friedrich Merz was elected chancellor of Germany on Tuesday, just hours after suffering a historic first-round defeat. Though the leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) had been expected to easily secure the role, he fell six votes short of the required 316 in the Bundestag’s initial secret ballot—marking the first time a post-war chancellor failed to win on the first try.

Bundestag President, Julia Klöckner.

Bundestag President Julia Klöckner urged parliament to resolve the matter swiftly, with fellow CDU figure Jens Spahn reminding lawmakers that “the whole of Europe, perhaps the whole world, is watching this election.” Merz ultimately secured the position in a second-round vote, receiving 325 votes.

Germany has been without a majority government since the collapse of Olaf Scholz’s SPD-led coalition in November. Merz’s CDU/CSU conservatives won 28.5% of the vote in February’s federal election. His campaign focused on reviving Germany’s economy, tightening immigration, and asserting the country’s global role amid a weakened NATO and rising political instability abroad.

As Germany faces mounting economic pressure in the wake of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, Merz’s coalition has pledged to rebuild the economy and increase defense spending.

Still, his rocky start gave ammunition to critics, including the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is poised to become the largest opposition party. “Merz is damaged, whatever else happens in future,” said AfD parliamentary leader Bernd Baumann, according to Reuters.