Alternative for Germany appears to be headed for the strongest showing by a far-right party since World War II in Sunday’s national election and is fielding its first candidate to lead the country.

Polls are open across Germany as the world’s third largest economy chooses a new leader to guide it through an era of febrile immigration debates and souring relations with Washington.

On a wet evening in Suhl, in the former East Germany, a smattering of youthful faces were among hundreds lining up to hear from an unlikely idol - Björn Höcke, one of the most controversial figures in the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Tino Chrupalla, voted in the country's election on Sunday morning and expressed confidence that his anti-immigration party will achieve its best result at national level yet. His fellow co-leader Alice Weidel,

Exit polls show the center-right CDU/CSU bloc has won 29% of the vote in snap elections, with the far-right AfD coming second.

Millions of Germans have been voting in the snap elections called after the previous left-wing coalition collapsed amid in-fighting. The conservative CDU are strong favourites. But the election could bring record results for the far right AfD,