Merkel slams Merz for breaking promise on AfD

Protests erupted in many German cities against CDU/CSU due to their anti-immigration policies and cooperation with AfD in the Bundestag, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

Around five thousand protesters gathered in Leipzig under the slogan "Stop Merz and AfD – Protect the Right to Asylum."

In Berlin, demonstrators assembled in front of the CDU headquarters. According to Bild, the party ordered its employees to leave the office before the protest. Demonstrations were also announced in front of the CSU headquarters in Munich.

Yesterday, CDU/CSU submitted a proposal in the Bundestag for measures to minimize irregular migration. Among other things, CDU/CSU demands that all individuals without valid travel documents be denied entry at the border, including those seeking asylum in Germany.

The proposal was approved, but only thanks to the votes of the AfD. CDU leader and candidate for chancellor in the February 23 elections, Friedrich Merz, had previously emphasized for months that he did not want to cooperate with AfD under any circumstances.

Protesters in Leipzig created a "firewall" using cardboard—a term used by CDU/CSU to highlight their supposed distance from AfD.

In Dresden, several hundred demonstrators gathered in the evening. Over the weekend, unions, church associations, and organizations like Fridays for Future announced a protest in Berlin against CDU/CSU’s migration policies and their rapprochement with AfD.

Former Chancellor Angela Merkel sharply criticized Merz for enabling AfD to make joint decisions in the Bundestag with the Christian Democrats.

"Merz broke his promise that he would not approach AfD," said Merkel’s office, which had previously stated that she would no longer intervene in daily politics after retiring from active political life.

The Bundestag is set to vote again on a concrete law proposal concerning the ban on family reunification for those without legal residency rights in Germany.

Merz has suggested that he will offer the minority government parties of Olaf Scholz the opportunity to jointly pass the proposed laws. However, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens have rejected the offer, stating that the proposals violate the Constitution.

Since a knife attack in Aschaffenburg a week ago—allegedly committed by an Afghan—migration has become the main topic ahead of the parliamentary elections.

According to current opinion polls, CDU/CSU holds around 30% of the vote, followed by AfD with around 20%. Support for SPD and the Greens stands at approximately 15%.