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.

The far-right AfD likely will score its best ever result as Europe's ailing economic powerhouse lurches rightwards. The conservative CDU/CSU bloc is set to win, but will be unlikely to secure a majority.

Opinion polls have suggested a win in the German election Sunday for the opposition conservatives under Friedrich Merz, and a defeat for Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his Social Democrats. The far-right Alternative for Germany, which is shunned by other parties, looks set to become the main opposition force in the parliament.