Germany's mainstream conservatives won the country's national election, while a far-right party surged to become the nation’s second-largest party, according to provisional results following Sunday’s election.

The leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), the second largest party in parliament after Sunday's election, said Germany's likely next chancellor would be held hostage by left-wing parties that would seek to loosen tough fiscal rules.

The leader of the conservative Christian Democrats celebrated as exit polls indicated they had won Sunday’s election, which had the highest voter turnout in decades.

Trump's statements on Ukraine last week make it "clear" Americans are "largely indifferent to the fate of Europe," Merz said.

Germany is set for a shift to the right after the conservative CDU/CSU bloc secured a clear victory in Sunday's elections, as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) recorded its best-ever performance.