In brief
In a fiery session of the Bundestag, Chancellor Friedrich Merz unleashed a string of accusations against Alternative for Germany leader Alice Weidel. The clash sparked after AfD secured nearly 44% of the vote in Saxony‑Anhalt, setting the stage for a broader debate on migration, national security and the future of Germany’s coalition government. Weidel countered by claiming the coalition had failed and warned that the AfD’s policy of “remigration” would destabilise everyday life. The far‑right’s victory—her first in any German state since World War II—has drawn sharp criticism from both sides of the aisle and even from U.S. President Donald Trump. As German domestic intelligence labels the party as right‑wing extremist, the clash underlines the fragile state of Germany’s political landscape.
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz took aim at far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader Alice Weidel during a turbulent Bundestag session, labeling her party a "destructive force".
The debate erupted after AfD’s 44% victory in the eastern state of Saxony‑Anhalt, where the party won almost 44% of the vote, leaving the governing CDU/CSU coalition with its vote share halved.
Merz accused Weidel’s party of backing Russia and of pursuing a "remigration" policy that he said would amount to "ethnic cleansing" of skilled workers, warning that such measures would unleash chaos in hospitals, restaurants and care homes.
Weidel counter‑attacked, contending that the coalition’s performance had failed and that her party’s results forced a change of leadership in Germany.
The episode marked a historic moment: no far‑right party has governed a German state since World War II, and Merz said the result would "change Germany".
International reaction spilled over, with U.S. President Donald Trump praising AfD’s victory as a triumph for voters who rejected "horrible immigration rules", while German domestic intelligence has labelled the party as “right‑wing extremist” and warned of a potential parliamentary crisis.
