While the far right made historic gains in Germany's elections on Sunday, Conservative politician Friedrich Merz won with nearly 29% of the vote.

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

U.S. President Donald Trump hailed Sunday as a "great day for Germany" after an election in which the centre-right opposition won first place followed by the far-right AfD with its strongest result ever.

President Donald Trump celebrated Germany’s election results as polls projected the country’s conservative factions garnered a decisive victory. As national election results came trickling in Sunday afternoon,