(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) During the general debate of the German Bundestag on Wednesday (September 9), German Chancellor Mertz accused the Alternative for Germany (AfD) of promoting "remigration" (Remigration) as tantamount to "ethnic cleansing" (ethnische Saeuberung). In his speech, he pointed out, “The ‘re-immigration’ you advocate is actually ethnic cleansing based on skin color and origin, and is nothing else.”
When Mertz said this, there was chaos and noise in the venue. Chancellor Merz reiterated word for word: "Ladies and gentlemen, the term 're-immigration' is synonymous with ethnic cleansing based on origin and skin color."
The word "re-immigration" was named the "Evil Word of the Year" in 2023. It was originally a relatively neutral term, but in recent years it has acquired special meaning in the political context regarding the AfD. The frequent appearance of the word is related to a far-right extremist meeting held in Potsdam at the end of 2023. That meeting discussed how to move a large number of immigrants, even German citizens with immigrant backgrounds, out of Germany. After the meeting was exposed, Germany set off a massive wave of protests against the AfD, and the party fell into a low ebb.
Merz on AfD: You are still a destructive force
The Alternative for Germany party received nearly 44% of the vote in the Saxony-Anhalt state election on Sunday (September 6). In his speech, Prime Minister Merz warned the AfD not to assume that it could gain wider support.
"Ms. Weidel, you do not have an absolute majority, and you will not get an absolute majority in Germany," he said to AfD party chair Alice Weidel, who had spoken before. "You are and you remain a destructive force."
But Merz had to admit that the Alternative for Germany "achieved shocking electoral results in all aspects" in Saxony-Anhalt. "The voters spoke very clearly. They sent a clear message to us and to me personally," he said, stressing that the AfD had failed to achieve its stated goal of obtaining an absolute majority in the state parliament.
Mertz accused the AfD party of "contempt for our democratic system" and said that there were "deep differences" between the party and other parties on foreign, European, social and peace policies.
Mertz criticized the AfD party for holding a friendly stance toward Russia and using it to harm Germany's interests: "The only factor that threatens Russia and Putin is the attractiveness of democracy," he said. "But you're still on Russia's side."
"You are one of the problems we face in Germany and we will fight these problems with all our strength."
AfD Party Chairman Weidel spoke before Prime Minister Merz. She said that the coalition government led by Merz had failed.
Former Chancellor Merkel: My heart is bleeding
The day before, former German Chancellor Merkel made a rare public appearance at the "Digital X" conference organized by Deutsche Telekom in Cologne.
When reporters asked on Tuesday about the AfD's significant lead over other parties in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections, Merkel described the results as "shocking."
"As a CDU member, my heart bleeds. "This is a rupture, a real rupture, that we are experiencing in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany."
Merkel, who served as German chancellor from 2005 to 2021, advised politicians to re-evaluate their communication strategies with voters, noting the need for "face-to-face communication with citizens" through various channels, which she said was becoming increasingly important.
She is also worried that voters seem to pay less and less attention to facts and more to their own subjective feelings. In her opinion, the unemployment rate in Saxony-Anhalt has dropped and personal living standards have improved. These are objective facts. But the AfD informed, "That may be the case, but it doesn't feel that way."
Merkel said, “The main advance of the Enlightenment was that the majority of people were able to agree on facts,” she said. “If feelings prevail over facts, that’s a step backwards for civilization.”
