Friedrich Merz arrives as a humbled new German chancellor – but that may not be the worst way to start | Jörg Lau

Friedrich Merz failed to secure a majority confirming him as chancellor in the first round of voting in the Bundestag .

In eight decades of postwar Germany , this has never happened before.

Merz starts his term as a weakened, somewhat humbled leader.

Ironically, Merz had to rely on the support of the Greens and the far-left Die Linke .