Exit polls show the center-right Christian Democratic Union party leading, with the AfD party heading towards the strongest showing of the far-right since World War II.

Germany faces its second change of leader in less than four years after the head of the center-right opposition won Sunday’s election.

An election win for Germany's conservatives has eased concerns of political gridlock in Europe's biggest economy, though it failed to lift uncertainty around whether a new government can deliver fiscal reforms that would boost sluggish growth.

Germany’s highest-stakes election in years is paving the way for a pivot to increased spending, with markets predicting the end of an era for constrained fiscal policy.