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 Christian Democratic Union has won a plurality in the Bundestag, preliminary exit polls suggested Sunday, while the far-right AfD has come in second.

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.