German citizens have shown that they want to see the Christian Democrats and the Christian Social Union Bloc in opposition.

The statement came from German Social Democratic Party candidate for chancellor Olaf Scholz.

"Three parties - the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Independent Democrats - have strengthened. Citizens have defined a clear mandate for these three parties to join the next government," he said.

The German Social Democratic Party received 25.7% of the vote, Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union Bloc 24.1%, the Greens (14.8%) and the Independent Democrats (11.5%).