Merz’s
far-right gamble backfires
Favorite to
be next German chancellor loses bid to use AfD support to push through
immigration law, after days of turmoil over weakening of Germany’s “firewall.”
The draft
bill, which sought to impose stricter immigration controls, failed in a narrow
vote.
January 31,
2025 5:47 pm CET
By Chris
Lunday
BERLIN —
Friedrich Merz, the conservative frontrunner to become Germany’s next
chancellor, suffered a major political defeat on Friday as his controversial
immigration bill backed by the far right was rejected in the Bundestag, with
some members of his own party refusing to support the measure.
Merz had
earlier declared his willingness to push through the draft law to restrict
migration even with support from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, a
move that weakened Germany’s so-called firewall against the far right and
sparked a fierce pre-election debate that struck at the heart of the country’s
postwar identity.
The draft
bill, which sought to impose stricter immigration controls, failed in a narrow
vote — 338 in favor, 350 against — marking a significant blow to Merz’s
leadership and election strategy just weeks before Germany’s federal vote, set
for Feb. 23.
In a
passionate debate in parliament, center-left lawmakers warned that the
conservative acceptance of far-right support would badly scar Germany’s
democracy.
“The
original sin will follow you forever,” Rolf Mützenich, parliamentary leader for
the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), warned conservatives. He then
urged Merz and his allies to change course and reject the AfD’s help. “The
gates of hell, we can still close together,” he said.
Twelve
conservative lawmakers rejected the bill or abstained, revealing a deep rift
within Merz’s alliance and embarrassing the candidate at a critical time in the
campaign. Earlier this week, Merz’s conservative predecessor, former chancellor
Angela Merkel, condemned his decision to accept far-right support.
“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,” Merkel said in a
statement.
In
parliament, Merz defended his decision, arguing that the government had lost
control of migration policy and that mainstream parties needed to act, no
matter who supported the legislation. “People outside don’t want us to argue
among ourselves about the AfD,” he said. “They want us to find solutions.”
At the same
time, Merz used the kind of inflammatory rhetoric often employed by the AfD,
referring to a series of violent attacks perpetrated by immigrants, such as the
attack on a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg, and knife
attack in the Bavarian city of Aschaffenburg earlier this month.
“Is it
seriously your position that, in light of the attacks in Magdeburg and
Aschaffenburg, in light of daily gang rapes committed by asylum seekers […] we
should do nothing? That we should not take action, even as parents across
Germany fear for their children?” Merz said, drawing a direct link between
crime and migration.
It remains
to be seen how Merz’s failure to pass the bill will change the contours of the
race, but the conservative attempt to peel back votes from the AfD may well end
up suffering as a result. At the same time, centrist voters upset with Merz’s
weakening of the firewall may shift to left-leaning parties that have pushed to
uphold it.
Merz’s
conservatives currently lead in polls at 30 percent, while the AfD is at 21
percent, having seen its popularity increase in recent weeks.
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