World War II Germany’s 10th chancellor, the culmination of a yearslong political career that was once sidelined by his party’s iconic leader.

The Christian Democrat, who appeared to have a path to a stable governing coalition, hopes to lead Europe’s response to President Trump’s reshuffling of alliances.

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.

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

The 69-year-old head of the centre-right Union bloc, which won the country's national election with 28.6 per cent of the votes, has by far the best chance of forming a new government.

Germany’s centre-right leader Friedrich Merz won federal elections on Sunday, clearing his path to become Chancellor at a time of economic and political upheaval for Europe’s biggest democracy. Merz’s CDU/CSU secured around 29 per cent of the vote,

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.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz conceded defeat for his center-left Social Democrats after what he called 'a bitter election result.'