- Angela Merkel is on track to secure a minority victory over her rivals
- The far-right, anti-immigrant AfD is posed to form the opposition
- Angela Merkel and Martin Schulz will likely form a ‘grand coalition’
- Election polls close at 6pm German time (5pmBST)
The latest election polls from Germany show that Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) are in the strong lead ahead of Martin Schulz’s Social Democrats (SPD).
The polls also suggest that incumbent Chancellor will be forced to strike a coalition deal with the SPD, or a potential three-way alliance between the CDU/CSU, Greens and liberal Free Democrats (FDP).
One party to look out for, is the controversial AdF which has grown in support in the run up to the election.
Here are all the latest live updates, polls and campaign news as Germany elects its next government in the federal election. (All times BST)
3.55pm: High election turnout could ‘benefit’ right-wing AfD, claims expert
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Christian Odendahl tweeted: “As elsewhere, I think this time around the relatively high turnout will benefit the populists in Germany.”
3.50pm: Angela Merkel casts her vote
The German Chancellor cast her ballot at a polling station in a school in Berlin’s Mitte district. in a bod to secure her fourth term in office.
Markus Putzel, an election volunteer at the Berlin polling station told CNN that the turnout is “quite high” there.
It’s a bit like the German Bundesliga,” he said. “You know that Bayern Munich will always be the champion, but it is exciting to see who will come second.”
3.30pm: Angela Merkel still in the lead with two hours to go
A number of polls show that Mrs Merkel’s CDU/CSU is still in the lead for victory.
A Pollytix election aggregator predicts that the Conservative’s will secure 36.1 per cent of the vote. based on the average of 21 different pollsters.
The SPD are in second place with 22.2 per cent of the vote, and the AfD are looking to score 10.6 per cent of the vote.
3pm: ‘Dull election will change nothing’ claims expert
Simon Tilford, deputy director of the Centre of European Reform has not been impressed by the German election so far.
He tweeted: “For an election this dull and unlikely to change anything much (inside or outside the country), there sure is a lot of coverage of #BTW2017.’”
2pm: Election turnout higher than 2013 as German head to the polls
The election turnout this year is at least two per cent higher than 2013, according to Christian Odendahl, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform.
Mr Odendahl tweeted: “Turnout seems to be higher than 2013 in #BTW2017. Might benefit #AfD (former non-voters) rather than major parties (anti-AfD vote).
“Turnout in Munich so far: 57% vs. 44% in 2013.
“Lowest turnout in a German federal election was in 2009: 70.8%. Highest in 1972: 91.1%.
“City of Koeln reports 2 percentage points higher turnout than in 2013, a 1 pm.
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