On Tuesday, Friedrich Merz was elected as Germany’s 10th post war chancellor. The victory comes after a historic stumble in which he lost the first round parliamentary vote, the first to ever do so. The stumble may complicate his time in the role, and could make it more difficult for him to revive Germany’s economy, tighten its borders, and rebuild its military. Merz enters the role at a time when Europe is feeling isolated and in need of strong leaders to emerge. As the votes were conducted via secret ballot, the reasons for his failure are unclear. Merz was able to rebound and win on the second ballot casting in the afternoon. 

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