BERLIN - Preliminary results show that Germany's conservative bloc, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), has emerged as the winner of the federal election, reclaiming its position as the largest force in parliament and signaling a major political shift.

Germany is set for a shift to the right after the conservative CDU/CSU bloc secured a clear victory in Sunday's elections, as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) recorded its best-ever performance.

Germany's centre-right CDU/CSU bloc has won national elections by a large margin, with all constituencies counted, paving the way for leader Friedrich Merz to be the next chancellor, as could be seen on the website of the federal returning officer.