Germans are heading to the polls today in an election that is expected to launch Friedrich Merz’s Conservatives into power, and hand Olaf Scholz defeat.

The election campaign has been dominated by economic stagnation, migration pressures and growing uncertainty over how best to secure the future of Ukraine.

Mr Merz’s centre-right opposition has consistently led the polls, with 28-32 per cent support in the most recent surveys, and Mr Merz is favoured to replace current Chancellor Mr Scholz of the Social Democrats, polling between 14-16 per cent.

However Mr Merz is unlikely to win a majority given Germany’s fragmented political landscape, forcing him to sound out coalition partners, which will take weeks or even months.

Polls also suggest the strongest result for a far-right party since the Second World War.

The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD, has been running in second place with around 20 per cent of the vote – well above its previous best of 12.6 per cent in a national election, from 2017. It has also fielded its first candidate for chancellor, Alice Weidel, though both other parties have said they will not work with her.