Germany's closely fought election on Sunday will set the direction of the European Union's most populous country after 16 years under Angela Merkel.

The election will be Sweden’s first since the government in 2015 allowed 163,000 migrants into the country of 10 million. While far less than what Germany took in that year, it was the most per capita of any European nation.

The decision ends almost six months of political uncertainty in Germany, the longest time the country has been without a government in its post-war history.