
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused the AfD of promoting ethnic cleansing via the term "remigration" after the far-right party's victory in Saxony-Anhalt with 44% of the vote, compared to 17% for the CDU, during a heated debate in the Bundestag marked by interjections from Afdist elected officials.
AI-generated summary
The AfD, a pro-Russian, anti-immigration far-right party, gained ground in eastern Germany, particularly in Saxony-Anhalt where it obtained 44% of the vote in the regional elections, while Friedrich Merz's CDU only received 17%.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz tried on Wednesday to regain control after his camp's heavy defeat in regional elections in eastern Germany against the far-right AfD, which he accused of promoting "ethnic cleansing". “The word 'remigration' is nothing other than a synonym for ethnic cleansing based on origin and skin color,” he declared during a debate in the Bundestag, the lower house of the German Parliament, frequently interrupted by the interjections of elected officials from the Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Sunday, during a regional election in Saxony-Anhalt, this pro-Russian and anti-immigration party received nearly 44% of the votes, far ahead of the conservative party (CDU) of Friedrich Merz and the outgoing minister-president, credited with 17% of the votes. “If those who work in Germany had to leave the country because we make ‘remigration’ the watchword”, several sectors of the economy could no longer function, continued the Chancellor, citing in particular “crafts”, “care establishments” or even “restaurants”.
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Friedrich Merz also downplayed the extent of the AfD's electoral success
The head of government spoke after an aggressive speech by Alice Weidel, the co-leader of the AfD, who regretted that Germans had to “live on a daily basis with the consequences of mass immigration”. According to Alice Weidel, this has the direct consequences of “increasing crime” and “a massive increase in sexual offenses and acts of brutal violence”. German criminal statistics show an over-representation of foreigners among certain types of crimes, but researchers have long emphasized that these data are not sufficient, on their own, to establish a direct causality between immigration and crime.
Friedrich Merz also downplayed the extent of the AfD's electoral success. The opposition party's “real electoral objective” of “obtaining the majority of seats in Saxony-Anhalt” was not achieved and “56% of voters in Saxony-Anhalt did not vote for you,” he said. The AfD says it is now in discussions with other groups and elected officials to form a government, a process that could take time. “Nowhere in Germany will you obtain a majority”, asserted Friedrich Merz against Alice Weidel, whose party is and will remain according to him “a destructive force”.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The AfD will try to form a government in Saxony-Anhalt by negotiating with other parties or independent elected officials.
Likely · Within weeks
Friedrich Merz will continue to denounce the term “remigration” as synonymous with ethnic cleansing in future parliamentary debates.
Very likely · Within weeks

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