The German chancellor, who defied calls to step aside after his government fell apart, is down in the polls but insisting he can still win.

According to the exit polls and partial counting, Merz’s Union bloc garnered around 28.5% votes, while the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany's support was projected to be 20.5%.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed the importance of keeping the path open for Ukraine to join the European Union and rejected suggestions that the country was to blame for its invasion by Russia,