German Chancellor Friedrich Merz launched a fierce attack on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) during a stormy parliamentary debate on Wednesday, just days after the party secured a major election victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.
The confrontation between Merz and AfD co-leader Alice Weidel came during a heated Bundestag debate marked by repeated interruptions and angry exchanges. Weidel opened the debate by accusing Merz’s coalition government of “total failure” and argued that voters had demanded a major political change.
Merz responded forcefully, describing the AfD as a “destructive force” and insisting that the party would struggle to win an outright majority in Germany with its current policies. His comments followed the AfD’s strong performance in Saxony-Anhalt, where it won almost 44% of the vote, while Merz’s conservative CDU suffered a major setback.
One of the main points of Merz’s attack was the AfD’s policy of “remigration,” which refers to plans involving the removal of certain migrants from Germany. Merz accused the party of promoting policies that could amount to ethnic cleansing and warned that aggressive migration policies could damage industries that depend heavily on migrant workers, including healthcare, hospitality and skilled trades.
Merz also criticized the AfD’s position on Russia and Ukraine, arguing that its foreign-policy approach could harm German interests. The AfD, meanwhile, has continued to oppose Germany’s support for Ukraine and has called for closer relations with Moscow.
The election result has intensified pressure on Merz and his coalition. Despite the AfD’s victory, mainstream German parties continue to maintain a political “firewall” against cooperation with the far-right party.
The confrontation highlights Germany’s growing political divide as the AfD gains support and Merz faces increasing pressure to respond to voters’ concerns over migration, the economy and government performance.
