Conservative leader Friedrich Merz was elected Germany’s new chancellor on Tuesday, but only after a dramatic second-round vote in the Bundestag — a rare and bruising setback that revealed cracks within his newly formed coalition and marked an unprecedented stumble in post-war German politics.

Merz bounces back to take the top job as Germany braces for economic headwinds, rising global tensions and an expectant Europe

Friedrich Merz, 69, a conservative stalwart and longtime rival of Angela Merkel, was elected Germany’s 10th postwar chancellor on Tuesday after a dram.