Germany’s conservative leader Friedrich Merz emerged as the winner in Sunday’s election, but the results gave his bloc just one clear path to power with intense pressure to move quickly to form a government.

Provisional results in Germany’s election confirm that mainstream conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won Germany's national election, while a far-right party surged to become the nation’s second-largest.

Friedrich Merz is set to become the next Chancellor at a time of great tumult at home and abroad, writes John Kampfner.