Germans vote in a national election on Sunday which is expected to see Friedrich Merz's conservatives regain power and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) score its best ever result as Europe's ailing economic powerhouse lurches rightwards.

The CDU advocates stricter border controls, faster asylum processing, and deportations for those without legal residency. It calls for a reform of the European asylum law, proposing that applications should be processed in safe third countries rather than within the EU.

Before Sunday's Bundestag elections, the Christian Democrats maintain a clear lead. The Left Party has gained slightly, according to the latest poll by the Forsa Institute. Support for other parties remains at a similar level.

Germany's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian CSU sister party are topping polls for the election on February 23 and are likely to lead the next government.