An unidentified man outside the parliament in Berlin confronted German chancellor Angela Merkel as she was leaving on Wednesday.

Before two police officers brought him down, the man shouted "Please, Mrs. Merkel, help me. Mrs. Merkel help me, please. Mrs. Merkel help, please."

The incident happened shortly after Merkel was re-elected as chancellor for a fourth term that may prove her most challenging yet as she leads a fragile coalition with her standing diminished.

Lawmakers voted by 364 to 315, with nine abstentions, in favour of re-electing Merkel, 63.