Angela Merkel elected to fourth term as chancellor in Germany

Germany’s parliament has elected Angela Merkel for her fourth term as chancellor, putting an end to nearly six months of political drift in Europe’s biggest economy.

Politicians voted 364-315 on Wednesday to re-elect Ms Merkel, who ran unopposed. There were nine abstentions.

The coalition of Ms Merkel’s conservative Christian Democratic Union, its Bavaria-only sister party the Christian Social Union and the centre-left Social Democrats has 399 seats.

Wednesday’s parliamentary vote comes 171 days – nearly double the previous record – after September’s election, in which they all lost significant ground.

The Social Democrats initially planned to go into opposition.