Germany’s Friedrich Merz claims victory for his conservatives in election

Friedrich Merz. Picture: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

Centre-right opposition leader Friedrich Merz claimed victory in Germany’s national election on Sunday after exit polls showed his bloc in the lead.

Mr Merz said he was aware of the dimension of the task he faces and said that “it will not be easy”.

Mr Merz said he aims to put together a governing coalition as quickly as possible.

German exit polls show Mr Merz’s conservatives leading in the election, while Alternative for Germany is heading for the strongest showing for a far-right party since the Second World War.

Olaf Scholz casts his vote at a polling station in Berlin (Ebrahim Noroozi/AP)

The exit polls for ARD and ZDF public television show Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s centre-left Social Democrats on track for their worst post-war result in a national parliamentary election, and expected to be in third place.

The election was dominated by worries about the years-long stagnation of Europe’s biggest economy, pressure to curb migration and growing uncertainty over the future of Ukraine and Europe’s alliance with the United States.

Mr Scholz conceded defeat, telling supporters that “this is a bitter election result” for his centre-left Social Democrats and “this is an election defeat”.