The session of Germany’s Bundestag started in a festive mood with greetings for dignitaries there to witness a peaceful handover of power. A little over an hour later, havoc ensued that will leave a lasting mark on the start of Friedrich Merz’s term as chancellor.

Friedrich Merz has secured a majority in the second round of voting at the German Bundestag, averting a constitutional crisis. Follow DW for more.

For the first time since the founding of the Federal Republic, two rounds of voting were necessary to elect a chancellor. While Friedrich Merz, the president of the Christian Democratic Union was finally voted in,