Chancellor Friedrich Merz and AfD co‑leader Alice Weidel faced each other in the Bundestag for the first time since the far‑right’s strong performance in the Saxony‑Anhalt state election, where the AfD secured almost 44% of the vote but fell three seats short of an outright majority.
Merz described the party as a "destructive force" and warned that its proposed "remigration" policy would amount to "nothing other than an ethnic cleansing in the skilled trades based on skin colour and origin".
Weidel, addressing MPs, claimed that the coalition led by Merz and the Social Democrats had failed and that the electorate had rejected their centre‑left partnership.
In response, Merz accused the AfD of damaging German interests by supporting Russia and warned that its deportation‑focused agenda would affect millions of people, threatening the functioning of essential services such as care homes, hospitals and restaurants.
The debate was marked by frequent interruptions from AfD MPs, prompting Bundestag President Julia Klöckner to warn that she might have to remove members from the chamber, stating, "We are not on a football pitch."
The chancellor also highlighted that one in six skilled workers in Germany has a migration background, underscoring the potential social impact of the AfD’s proposals.
The AfD’s success in Saxony‑Anhalt has drawn international attention, with US President Donald Trump praising the party’s victory and linking it to Germany’s immigration policies.
German domestic intelligence has classified the AfD in the state as "right‑wing extremist" and noted the party’s pledge of a "deportation and remigration" offensive against irregular migrants.
A planned phone call between Trump and the German chancellor to mark the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks was postponed, with no new date announced.
While the AfD remains three seats shy of a governing majority in Saxony‑Anhalt, it has hinted at possible cooperation with other parties, including the left‑wing populist BSW, provided its candidate Ulrich Siegmund can become state premier.
The CDU’s share in the same election fell to 17.2%, halving its previous support, and Merz reiterated that the AfD’s regional win does not translate into a national governing mandate, noting that no far‑right party has led any of Germany’s sixteen states since World War Two.
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Category: International
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