Germany's current Chancellor Angela Merkel was re-elected for the position by the parliament. With this, Merkel became the Chancellor for the fourth time in a row.

Lawmakers voted 364-315 to give Merkel the front seat as she ran unopposed. The Coalition of Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union, the Christian Social Union and Social Democrats has 399 seats which has governed for the past four years.

The former leader of Social Democratic Party of Germany, Martin Sculz had initially ruled out a new GroKo(grand coalition), pledging to take his party into opposition. However, he was forced to change his position after coalition talks between Christian Democratic Union, Green Party and liberal FDP collapsed.

Merkel was the first to travel to the Berlin residence of German President Frank Walter Steinmeier to be officially nominated before returning to the Bundestag and was sworn in as the Chancellor.

First Published:Mar 14, 2018 9:20 AM IST