Friedrich Merz has been confirmed as Germany’s new chancellor after a second round of voting in the Bundestag, after a dramatic setback earlier in the day.

Merz has faced mounting criticism from within his own party over what some see as excessive concessions to the SPD.

"I think over 20 percent of the AfD in Germany is a very, very bad figure. It will only fall again if the new federal government does a very good job very quickly and very consistently."