According to the public ARD broadcaster’s figures, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats comfortably secured more votes than any other bloc, at a projected 42.1 percent. This would be a larger share even than most polls predicted, but it was not immediately clear how Merkel would set up a coalition government.

The current junior coalition partners, the Free Democrats, were put at 4.7 percent by ARD’s poll - right on the cusp of the 5-percent support required to guarantee parliamentary representation.

The Social Democrats were set to score 25.8 percent according to the initial figures, comfortably in second but well adrift of Merkel’s Christian Democrats.

Both the Greens and the Left party cleared the 5-percent hurdle; the Greens were placed at around 8.1 percent and the Left at 8.2 percent.

The euroskeptic Alternative for Germany (AfD) party were also placed close to the 5-percent hurdle in early polls - potentially providing the national parliament with a new party.

You can watch livestream coverage here: dw.de

The video player is on the right-hand side of the page, a little bit down from the top. Prost!