In Germany, polling for the elections of lower house of the Parliament, the Bundestag is being held on Sunday.

Some 60.4 million Germans over the age of 18 are eligible to cast the vote to elect 598 member parliament.

Pre-poll surveys show Merkel's conservative alliance led by Armin Laschet is slightly behind challenger Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party and is facing the threat of crashing out of government altogether after 16 years in power.