Germany’s centre-right CDU and CSU parties have won the federal elections with about 28.5 to 29 per cent of the vote according to exit polls, paving the way for CDU leader Friedrich Merz to become chancellor at a time of economic and political upheaval in Europe’s largest democracy.

Germany's centre-right CDU/CSU bloc has won national elections by a large margin, with all constituencies counted, paving the way for leader Friedrich Merz to be the next chancellor, as could be seen on the website of the federal returning officer.

CDU's Friedrich Merz has claimed victory while SPD's Olaf Scholz has regretted the "bitter" election result. The German electoral authority confirmed the CDU's win in preliminary results, followed by the far-right AfD.

Germany's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian CSU sister party are topping polls for the election on February 23 and are likely to lead the next government.

Germany's conservative bloc and the Social Democrats (SPD) have started exploratory talks aimed at forming a new government coalition, following Sunday's federal election. Leading party representatives gathered in a parliament building on Friday morning.

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democrats, has ruled out a coalition with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which finished second in last week's elections. View on euronew

Germany's conservative leader Friedrich Merz, who came out on top in the snap election results, is aiming to close a coalition agreement with outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz's SPD, which came third in the elections.