There is a determination among all of Germany's main parties to keep that block in place - and the German public backs them up: 69% see the AfD as a threat to democracy, according

The AfD finished in second place with just under 21 per cent in Sunday's vote, behind only the conservative CDU-CSU which came first on 28.6 per cent.

Far-right AfD has best ever showing The far-right party AfD has had its best ever showing in a German federal election, whilst the centre-right bloc has won the most votes, according to the unconfirmed exit poll.

Far-right gains and a ‘sharper and edgier’ chancellor are among the takeaways from the country’s contest, an expert says.

Friedrich Merz said that Europe needed to “achieve independence from the United States, step by step.” That won’t be easy, for Europe or for the United States.