Angela Merkel has taken aim at the party she once led following the rising popularity and influence of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
The former German Chancellor slammed the Christian Democratic Union’s (CDU) leader, Friedrich Merz, for relying on the AfD for the first time to pass an anti-immigration bill.
This goes against what’s known as the “firewall” – a tactic used to isolate the AfD and keep it out of government, which Mr Merz pledged to pursue last year. Despite this, the controversial party is still predicted to come second in the February 23 election, recent polls show.
Mrs Merkel said in a statement: “I consider it wrong to abandon this commitment and, as a result, to knowingly allow a majority with AfD votes in the Bundestag for the first time.
“This proposal and the stance associated with it were an expression of great state political responsibility, which I fully support in its entirety.
“I think it is wrong to no longer feel bound by this proposal and thereby knowingly enable a majority with the votes of the AfD for the first time in a vote in the German Bundestag on January 29, 2025.”
The row between the new and former CDU leader erupted after the party proposed rejecting asylum seekers at the border, which relied on AfD votes to be pushed through.
Mrs Merkel also referenced December’s Magdeburg attack, in which suspect Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen drove a car into crowds at a Christmas market, killing six and injuring at least 299.
The former CDU leader said the “democratic parties” must do everything they can to prevent similar attacks in the future.
She said the work must be done “together across party political boundaries, not as a tactical maneuver, but honestly in the matter, moderate in tone and on the basis of applicable European law”.
This comes as AfD are polling at 21%, second only to the CDU at 30%, according to the latest survey by INSA. This represents a steady increase in popularity since December, when they were polling at 18%.
