Germany’s Merz Attacks AfD in Parliament After Far-Right Election Win
BBC News reports on a heated exchange between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader Alice Weidel in the Bundestag following the far-right party’s significant victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Clashes in Parliament
Merz accused Weidel’s party of being a "destructive force" with policies that amount to "ethnic cleansing" for skilled workers, particularly regarding their migration stance. He highlighted the AfD’s support for Russia and warned that their "remigration" policy could affect millions.
Weidel countered by asserting that Merz’s coalition with the center-left was a failure and that his time in office had come to an end.
Quotable Moments
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Merz on AfD’s Migration Policy: "one in six skilled workers had a migration background, and if [AfD] had their way then its policy would amount to nothing other than an ethnic cleansing in the skilled trades based on skin colour and origin."
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Weidel on Germany’s Situation: "mass migration has left Germans with daily knife violence and attacks on trains and in stations."
Context and Reactions
The AfD’s success, praised by US President Donald Trump, has been a significant shift in German politics. The party’s label as "right-wing extremist" by German domestic intelligence has led to promises of deportation and remigration offensive targeting irregular migrants.
The debate was disrupted by AfD MPs, leading Bundestag President Julia Klöckner to warn against such behavior: "We are not on a football pitch."
Merz insisted that while some deportations were needed, the government would make a careful distinction between contributing members of German society and those without permanent residency. He also predicted that the AfD’s policies could cripple essential services like care homes, hospitals, and restaurants.
