The German parliament has elected Social Democrat Olaf Scholz as the new chancellor. This marks the end of the reign of Christian Democrat Angela Merkel after sixteen years.
Voting started just after 9:00 am. MPs took turns walking forward to vote. That was a formality. The parties that will form a coalition under the leadership of Scholz have a clear majority in the Bundestag. These are the centre-left SPD of Scholz, the environmental party, the Greens and the liberal FDP.
It is the first time that these parties form a government. The new cabinet will be sworn in later on Wednesday. Merkel and Scholz will meet in the afternoon to transfer the tasks.
Scholz received 395 votes in favour and 303 against in the Bundestag. After he was said to have had enough votes and after it was officially announced that he had been elected, there was a long round of applause.
