Angela Merkel’s centre-right Christian Democrats were within striking distance of achieving the first single party parliamentary majority in more than half a century last night after triumphing in the German general election, but her junior coalition partner seemed set to lose all its seats in parliament.

The result could equally lead to a grand coalition between the German chancellor’s Christian Democratic Union and the opposition Social Democrats, if a new eurosceptic party wins seats for the first time.

According to ZDF TV, the combined forces of Ms Merkel’s CDU and the Christian Social Union, its Bavarian sister party, could win 303 seats – just one seat short of a historic absolute majority, based on exit polls. It would be the first time that the centre-right had governed alone for more than half a century.