Angela Merkel slams her political party for their far-reaching actions

DW (English)

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has criticized her center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) for using the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to push a hard-line migration motion through parliament.
Rare intervention “This proposal and the attitude associated with it were an expression of great national political responsibility, which I fully support,” Merkel said in a statement released by her office.
“Her outright condemnation that he is ‘wrong’ to accept votes from the far-right AfD Party will alienate voters literally left, right and center,” Küfner said.
Merz takes CDU on more hard-line migration course Merz took over the CDU after Merkel, with whom he had often been at odds, stepped down as chancellor in 2021.
Merkel demanded “that all democratic parties work together across party political boundaries, not as a tactical maneuver, but honestly, moderately and on the basis of applicable European law, to do everything possible to prevent such terrible attacks.”

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The center-right Christian Democrats (CDU), led by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have come under fire for attempting to pass a hard-line immigration bill through parliament with the backing of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Merkel pointed out that Friedrich Merz, the party’s leader, had stated in November that no legislation should be approved with the AfD’s backing prior to the election on February 23. She continued, “I believe it was incorrect to dismiss this proposal. “.”.

Infrequent intervention.

In a statement issued by her office, Merkel stated, “This proposal and the attitude associated with it were an expression of great national political responsibility, which I fully support.”.

In a vote in the German Bundestag, she claimed that the AfD had achieved a first-ever “majority with votes” as a result of breaking the pledge. “.”.

Her comments come after Merz, aware that it might require the AfD’s support to pass, put a nonbinding motion calling for Germany to repatriate a large number of migrants at its borders to a vote on Wednesday.

The measure passed by a vote of three thanks to the far-right party’s support.

Merkel has maintained a low profile since leaving office, so her statement was a rare intervention.

DW political editor: “Merz made a mistake.”.

The criticism by Merkel, who is still regarded as a highly respected political figure in Germany, could harm Merz’s reputation within the party, DW political editor Michaela Küfner stated on X, formerly Twitter.

Later, according to Küfner, Merkel’s censure dealt Merz a serious setback.

Küfner predicted that her categorical denunciation that he is “wrong” to accept votes from the far-right AfD Party would turn off voters from all sides.

“He may have distanced the conservative CDU/CSU from the Merkel era in order to relaunch it. But the historic stateswoman’s shadow looms large,” she said, adding that Merz had erred by abandoning his own pledge to forgo seeking a parliamentary majority with AfD involvement.

“Merz will be stuck with the label of a traitor to the democratic center unless his strategy is now swiftly validated through a sharp rise in the polls for his conservative CDU/CSU and falling support for the AfD,” Küfner stated, adding that the upcoming weeks will become a moment of truth for Germany and the conservative CDU. “.

Merz adopts a more stringent migration strategy with CDU.

After Merkel, with whom he had frequently clashed, resigned as chancellor in 2021, Merz assumed leadership of the CDU.

He has since adopted a more restrictive approach to immigration, claiming last week that Germany has had a “misguided asylum and immigration policy” for ten years, ostensibly in reference to Merkel’s 2015 decision to permit a large influx of refugees into the nation, many of whom were escaping the Syrian civil war.

After a series of attacks attributed to suspects with migrant backgrounds, including a fatal knife attack in Aschaffenburg one week ago, migration has emerged as a key issue in the German election campaign ahead of the February 23 vote.

In order to stop such horrible attacks, Merkel called on “all democratic parties to cooperate across party political boundaries, not as a tactical maneuver, but honestly, moderately, and on the basis of applicable European law.”. “,”.

tj/wd (AFP, dpa, Reuters, AP).

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