Europe must seek to “achieve independence” from the United States, Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz said after exit polls showed his opposition conservatives were on track to win Sunday’s election,

Merz expressed concern over changing relations with Washington under the Trump administration, emphasizing the need for gradual independence from the U.S.

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.