Alternative for Germany, a far-right political party under surveillance by intelligence services for suspected extremism, made huge gains in the country’s general election Sunday, with the center-right Christian Democratic Union likely to lead coalition talks to form the next government.

German voters cast their ballots in Sunday’s election, with opposition leader Friedrich Merz claiming victory. Exit polls also indicate that Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is heading for the strongest showing for a far-right party since World War II.

Germany's opposition conservatives won the national election on Sunday, putting leader Friedrich Merz on track to be the next chancellor while the far-right Alternative for Germany came in second, its best ever result, projections showed.