Merz Slams AfD 'Remigration' Plans as Ethnic Cleansing

BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said “remigration” plans put forward by Alternative for Germany (AfD) amount to ethnic cleansing and would devastate the German economy, in his sharpest attack yet on the surging far-right party after a dismal election defeat for his center-right conservatives.

“’Remigration’ is nothing more than a synonym for ethnic cleansing based on origin and skin color,” Merz said in a speech in the Bundestag on Wednesday.

“One in six workers in the skilled trades holds a foreign passport. If those who work in Germany are forced to leave the country again because you’re championing ‘remigration’, then the skilled trades in Germany will no longer be able to function. Then not a single nursing home would remain open, and not a single hospital in Germany would continue to operate. Then not a single restaurant could stay in business in Germany. That would be the result of your immigration policy,” he added.

His comments come just days after a landslide victory for the AfD in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt in which the party just fell short of winning an absolute parliamentary majority.

“Remigration” is a far-right concept that can range from deporting people without legal status to the mass removal of immigrants and their descendants. The anti-immigrant AfD had dedicated an entire chapter to “immigration and remigration” in its election program for Saxony-Anhalt.

Its lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund — who is also the state’s potential next premier — attended a notorious 2023 meeting at which party figures and far-right extremists discussed “remigration plans” that included the mass deportation of “non-assimilated” German citizens and sparked nationwide protests.

Merz’s comments constitute the harshest condemnation yet of the AfD’s policies and come as the chancellor himself is facing mounting questions over his ability to lead Germany’s weakened coalition government. His dismal approval ratings helped fuel the AfD’s victory in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday — and contributed to his party losing over half of its support.

Following the election, Merz and his center-right conservatives are searching for a new narrative in their fight against the far right. The AfD, now the most popular party in national polls, has vowed to destroy Merz’s conservatives and seize power nationwide after the next national election, scheduled for 2029.

“You have failed to understand the message that voters in Saxony-Anhalt sent you last Sunday,” AfD national co-leader Alice Weidel, who spoke before Merz in the Bundestag, said. “That doesn’t really matter anyway, because your time is up. The people want a change in policy, and they will get it. In the next election, the people will give the AfD — that is, us, the Alternative for Germany — a clear mandate to govern.”

Merz also attacked the AfD over its Russia-friendly positions, accusing the party of ignoring the threat facing Germany.

“We learned this in a whole new dimension on August 4, if not before,” Merz said, referring to the explosive-laden drone attack on the airport of Leipzig-Halle. “Not a word from you on this, Ms. Weidel … It’s a clear fact — one you’re well aware of — that this attack was planned for months in Russia, was specifically directed against Germany, and that it was only by sheer coincidence that more extensive property damage and personal injury were prevented. Yet you’re laughing it off, ladies and gentlemen. That shows how you think and where you stand.”

He then added that the AfD was helping the Kremlin in its efforts. “Not a word from you about the disinformation campaigns originating in Russia — with your support — that have been attempting for weeks, months, and years to destabilize our country, our society, and our democracy,” he said. “You are part of this problem we face in Germany, and we will use every means at our disposal to prevent you from continuing down this path.”