By Nikhil Sharma (Reuters) -German stocks were the standout gainer in Europe on Monday as Friedrich Merz-led opposition conservatives won the national election as expected. The pan-European STOXX 600 index climbed 0.

Europe must seek to “achieve independence” from the United States, Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz said after his opposition conservatives won elections on Sunday, in a vote that also saw surging support for the far-right.

Provisional results confirm that mainstream conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won Germany's national election, while a far-right party surged to become the nation’s second-largest.