Germany's election won by conservatives and far-right AfD party surges, official results show

Berlin — Provisional results confirmed 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.

The campaign was dominated by worries about the yearslong stagnation of Europe's biggest economy and pressure to curb migration, something that caused friction after Merz pushed hard in recent weeks for a tougher approach. It took place against a background of growing uncertainty over the future of Ukraine and Europe's alliance with the United States.

Germany is the most populous country in the 27-nation European Union and a leading member of NATO. It's been Ukraine's second-biggest weapons supplier, after the U.S. It will be central to shaping the continent's response to the challenges of the coming years, including the Trump administration's confrontational foreign and trade policy.