Conservative leader Friedrich Merz was elected in a second ballot by lawmakers as post-World War II Germany's 10th chancellor on Tuesday — hours after he failed to win the first round in parliament in a historic defeat.

Merz' appointment ends six months of political deadlock in the country after the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government in November.

Friedrich Merz now heads the German government. He has vowed to make foreign policy a top priority, visiting France and Poland on his first day in office.