German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has launched a fierce attack on the far-right AfD after its landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt, accusing the party of pursuing a migration policy that amounts to “ethnic cleansing” of skilled workers.
Speaking in a stormy Bundestag session, Merz called the AfD a “destructive force” and warned that its “remigration” plans would cripple hospitals, care homes and restaurants by driving out one in six skilled workers who have a migration background, according to BBC News.
The chancellor’s remarks came after the anti-immigration party won almost 44% of the vote in the eastern state, while his own conservatives saw their support halve to 17.2%. AfD leader Alice Weidel told MPs the result proved Merz’s coalition with the centre-left was a failure and that his time in office was up.
Merz hit back, saying the AfD had damaged German interests by backing Russia and by promising a deportation offensive targeting irregular migrants. He insisted the government distinguishes between those who contribute to prosperity and those without permanent residency, but said Weidel’s approach would harm the entire economy.
The session was repeatedly disrupted by AfD MPs, with Bundestag President Julia Klöckner threatening to expel members from the chamber. “We are not on a football pitch,” she said as heckling reached a crescendo.
Weidel argued that mass migration had left Germans facing daily knife violence and attacks on trains and in stations. Merz countered that the AfD’s plans would make basic services impossible to run.
It remains unclear whether the AfD can form a government in Saxony-Anhalt, having fallen three seats short of a majority. No far-right party has held power in any of Germany’s 16 states since World War Two, and Merz admitted the “seismic” result has changed the country.
US President Donald Trump praised the AfD’s success, linking it to what he called “absolutely horrible immigration rules”. A planned phone call between Trump and Merz was postponed, with no new date set.
The AfD, labelled “right-wing extremist” by German intelligence, is now exploring alliances to install its candidate Ulrich Siegmund as state premier. Some within the party have even suggested Merz’s CDU could drop its refusal to work with the far right.
