Polls opened in Germany Sunday in a general election expected to hand Chancellor Angela Merkel a fourth term, while the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is predicted to win its first seats in the national parliament.

Surveys suggest Merkel's conservative CDU/CSU alliance has a double digit lead over their nearest rivals, the Social Democrats. Four smaller parties, including the AfD, are battling it out for third place.

Polling stations will close at 1600 GMT. 

Source: AFP