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Exit polls have revealed Angela Merkel will remain Chancellor but her victory has been overshadowed by the far-right AfD winning its first seats in the Bundestag. Mrs Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party gained 32.9 per cent of seats, her coalition Social Democrats Party (SPD) led by former EU leader Martin Schulz, gained 20.2 per cent and the AfD 13.3 per cent. The AfD is now the third largest party in the Bundestag after it gained 119,000 votes from citizens who had previously not voted, and almost a million from the CDU. Mrs Merkel was predicted to gain more seats, however, many Germans blame her for allowing hundreds of thousands of migrants into the country two years ago during her open-door policy.

Mr Schulz, in his concession speech, said the immigration policy had led to the "depressing" rise of the AfD, whose leader has made pro-Nazi comments. Mr Schulz said: "Depressing for us is the strength of the AfD. "For the first time a right-wing party will be in German parliament. This is difficult, no democrat can just gloss over that. "It is clear accepting more than one million refugees in our country is still dividing the country.

AFP•GETTY Martin Schulz said the immigration policy had divided Germany

"Everybody in our society, including us, needs to show respect and humanity. "It was such an act of humanity back in the day but some people still experience this as threatening. "We have not managed to convince some traditional voters that Germany is strong enough that we don't need to forget anybody." He added: "The central task is to work for social cohesion in this state. Social democracy is important."

German election: Photos from the election Mon, September 25, 2017 Latest pictures during the upcoming general elections in Germany Play slideshow REUTERS 1 of 22 Demonstrators scuffle with police during the protest against the anti-immigration party Alternative for Deutschland AfD, after German general election (Bundestagswahl) in Berlin