In Germany, Friedrich Merz failed to secure a majority needed to become chancellor in a parliamentary vote on Tuesday. This is the first time that a chancellor has not been elected in the first vote.



Merz is the candidate for the alliance of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union, which won the general election in February.



He was expected to win a majority with support from lawmakers of the Social Democratic Party, a coalition partner of the CDU/CSU. But Merz fell six votes short.



German public broadcaster ZDF reported that some members of the Social Democratic Party may have voted against Merz, as his bloc had pushed a motion to tighten immigration rules through parliament in January with the help of the far-right Alternative for Germany party.



It is not known who voted against Merz.



The Basic Law, the country's constitution, stipulates that parliament can hold a new round of voting within two weeks.