Friedrich Merz was elected the new chairman of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) during an online congress of 95% of the votes, the voting was broadcast live by the Phoenix TV channel, writes RIA Novosti.

Merz became the third chairman of the CDU in just over three years after Angela Merkel stepped down as party leader in 2018 after 18 years in office. Merz tried twice to become CDU chairman but lost to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in December 2018 and Armin Laschet in January 2021.

In December, Merz's candidacy for party chairmanship was approved following the first-ever membership poll in the history of the CDU. He succeeded Armin Laschet as chairman of the party, under whose leadership the German conservatives were defeated for the first time in 16 years in the elections to the German Bundestag in 2021.