Germany's CDU/CSU conservative alliance won Sunday's general election election and the Elon Musk-endorsed far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party came second, preliminary results show.

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) bloc, has emerged victorious in the national elections in Germany. The CDU/CSU won 28.8% of the vote, estimates from public broadcaster ARD showed. The victory marks a major shift in Germany's political landscape.

Europe must seek to “achieve independence” from the United States, Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz said after his opposition conservatives won elections on Sunday, in a vote that also saw surging support for the far-right.

The Christian Democratic Union and its allied Christian Social Union secured the largest share of votes in the German federal election, exit polls show.