Germany's mainstream conservatives have won the country's national election, while a far-right party surged to become the country's second-largest party.

The centre-right CDU has emerged as the biggest party in the German election, making Merz the most likely to lead a government, following coalition negotiations.

Germany’s conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz won the national election on Sunday, while far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) followed in second place, rougly doubling its support in the strongest projections since World War II.