The conservative Christian Democrats appeared to be on the cusp of victory in Germany’s parliamentary elections yesterday, exit polls show. The country’s next chancellor will almost certainly be Friedrich Merz, a businessman who has promised to crack down on migrants, and slash taxes and business regulations in a bid to kick-start economic growth.

Center-right opposition leader Friedrich Merz claimed victory in Germany’s national election on Sunday after exit polls showed his bloc in the lead. Merz said he was aware of the dimension of the task he faces and said that “it will not be easy.

The Christian Democratic Union has won a plurality in the Bundestag, preliminary exit polls suggested Sunday, while the far-right AfD has come in second.

Speaking after her party achieved its best-ever result in a national election, Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-leader Alice Weidel said that her party was ready to help form a government. "Our hand will always be outstretched to take part in government,