Europe must seek to “achieve independence” from the United States, Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz said after his opposition conservatives won elections on Sunday, in a vote that also saw surging support for the far-right.

Exit polls show the center-right Christian Democratic Union party leading, with the AfD party heading towards the strongest showing of the far-right since World War II.

The country's far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), saw a historic jump in support, winning 20.8% of the vote. "Next time we'll come first," AfD party leader Alice Weidel vowed.

Germany's conservatives won the national election on Sunday, while the far-right Alternative for Germany came in second, its best ever result.

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.

German citizens aged 18 and up can vote. At least 59.2 million people in the nation of 84 million are eligible, about 2.3 million of them for the first time. Polling stations are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. Four candidates are bidding to be Germany’s next leader in Sunday’s election.

Alternative for Germany (AfD) is now on course to win 20.5% of the vote, according to latest projections - but there is no way Friedrich Merz will work with it because of a long-standing political taboo against working with the far right, known as a Brandmauer - a firewall.