Conservative leader Friedrich Merz is set to become the new chancellor of Germany, as preliminary results show that the alliance he leads has won 28.6% of the votes in the federal election held on Sunday, AFP reported.

The far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, secured second place with record gains. The party doubled its vote share to at least 19.5%, driven by concerns about immigration and security.

Merz’s Christian Democratic Union- Christian Social Union alliance surged ahead of the centre-left Social Democrats party of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which received around 16% of the vote, according to AFP.

Currently, the Alternative for Germany is set to remain in opposition, with all other parties having pledged to block its access to power, maintaining what has been described in the media as a “firewall” arrangement.

Merz reportedly hopes to stitch together an alliance and form the government by Easter, on April 20.

“Let’s get the party started,” he told party supporters on Sunday, in an apparent reference to starting negotiations to build a coalition, according to CNN.

Merz said his priority would be to strengthen Europe swiftly, so that it can “achieve independence” from the United States.

“I would never have believed that I would have to say something like that on television,” he said. “But at the very least, after [US president] Donald Trump’s statements last week, it is clear that the Americans – at least this part of the Americans in this administration – are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe.”