Friedrich Merz’s bid fails in stunning defeat

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Friedrich Merz reacts after he was not elected new chancellor in the first voting process at the parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) BERLIN — In a historic first, conservative leader Friedrich Merz’s bid to become Germany’s 10th chancellor since World War II failed by six votes in parliament on Tuesday, a stunning defeat as he had been widely expected to win smoothly. A candidate for chancellor has never failed to win on the first ballot since the end of the war. The loss triggered a stock market slide: the DAX, the index of major...