The conservative CDU/CSU bloc emerged as the winner of Sunday's parliamentary elections in Germany, securing 28.6% of the vote, the dpa agency reported, citing preliminary official data released overnight from Sunday to Monday by the Federal Election Commission.

Friedrich Merz, leader of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, has said "from tomorrow we start working" on forming a government as the far-right AfD won its best-ever results.

With 28.6% of the vote, the CDU/CSU came out on top, ahead of the AfD, with 20.8% of the vote. CDU leader Friedrich Merz, who has ruled out any alliance with the far right, will likely be able to avoid having to form a three-party coalition.