To accomplish that task, he will need to repair ties with the U.S. and allies, end an immigration crisis and kick-start the sluggish German economy.

Friedrich Merz's unprecedented first-round failure in the vote to make him German chancellor on Tuesday gave a boost to the far-right AfD, which just days ago was reeling from being officially labelled an extremist threat to democracy.

The new German chancellor has taken a hard line on immigration, as well as against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.