Friedrich Merz fails to become German Chancellor. So what happens next?

Friedrich Merz needed 316 votes in Germany’s 630-member parliament to be elected the next chancellor. The leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was widely thought to be a shoo-in for the post. However, in the secret ballot in Germany's Lower House of Parliament, also known as the Bundestag, Merz got just 310 votes. So what happened? How did Merz stumble at the final hurdle? And what happens next?

Explainers