Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany's mainstream conservatives, has said that Europe must become independent from the United States in security matters, after his grouping won the biggest share of the vote in federal elections.

The leader of Germany’s Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster, expressed his shock, telling the Welt newspaper: “Although this result was to be expected, according to the polls, I am also shocked this evening by the electoral success of the AfD, which has doubled its share of the vote in just three years.”