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.

German's Friedrich Merz has pledged to achieve "independence" from the United States after his centre-right alliance won parliamentary elections. Merz faces complex negotiations with smaller parties to form a government after ruling out cooperation with the second-placed hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).