Friedrich Merz will be the German chancellor after winning a vote in the Bundestag Tuesday afternoon, following an embarrassing initial failure that plunged Berlin into political turmoil, Politico reported.

The conservative leader, who was badly damaged by the unprecedented failure to secure the chancellorship in a first vote earlier in the day, secured 325 votes in the dramatic second round, above the 316 needed to win.

After the vote, Merz appeared to be visibly relieved.

Merz was the first would-be chancellor in postwar history to fail to win first-time backing. His conservatives have signed a coalition with Social Democrats.