Germany's conservatives won Sunday's elections, with their leader Friedrich Merz set to become the next chancellor, followed by the far-right AfD in second place after record gains, according to exit polls.

If confirmed in the final count, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) roughly doubled its score to at least 19.5 percent, boosted by fears over immigration and security after a spate of deadly attacks blamed on asylum seekers.

Merz's CDU/CSU alliance won at least 28.5 percent, said first exit polls from two public broadcasters, crushing the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) of the outgoing chancellor, Olaf Scholz, which were looking at around 16 percent.

Merz -- a long-time party rival of ex-chancellor Angela Merkel -- has vowed a crackdown on irregular immigration. He thus hopes to win back votes from the AfD and halt its rise, which has stunned many in a country still seeking to atone for its dark Nazi history.

For now, the AfD -- basking in the vocal support of key allies of US President Donald Trump -- is set to stay in opposition. All other parties have vowed to keep it out of power and behind a "firewall" of non-cooperation.

But its jubilant leader........

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