Germany elects Friedrich Merz as new leader following government collapse

Germany has elected Friedrich Merz of the center-right opposition as its new leader, marking a significant change after Olaf Scholz's government collapsed in November. This is Germany's second leadership change in less than four years. Merz aims to form a coalition government with Scholz's Social Democrats, who suffered their worst postwar election results. The far-right Alternative for Germany party gained significant support, especially in the east, while the Left Party made a surprising comeback among young voters. Merz has expressed support for Ukraine amid ongoing conflict with Russia. He has criticized the previous government for insufficient military aid but has not committed to future peacekeeping efforts.