Germany’s Merz Faces Harsh Criticism Ahead of Parliamentary Elections
Friedrich Merz has faced heated criticism for his cooperation with the far-right AfD on immigration reforms (Flickr).
The streets of Germany—from Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate to Munich’s Therienweise—have seen scores of demonstrations against far-right political parties ahead of the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections, which are scheduled to take place on February 23. With the combined number of protesters estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands, the events have added yet another level of complexity and intrigue to the campaign season.
Two immigration-related proposals put forth by Friedrich Merz—leader of Germany’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and front-runner for the Chancellorship—were the impetus for the protests. The first measure, a non-binding motion on draft asylum policies, was able to advance through the Bundestag only through the support of the far-right Alternativ für Deutschland (AfD). The second, which entailed legally-binding alterations to the country’s asylum laws, narrowly failed but still relied on the AfD’s votes to even come within striking distance of passage.
Both actions were seen as violating Germany’s well-established Brandmauer, or firewall, which declares any cooperation with right-wing extremist parties like the AfD taboo. The policy is deeply rooted in the dark history of World War II, when similar collaboration directly enabled the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party in the 1920s and ‘30s.
In recent years, holes in the Brandmauer have begun to develop at the state and local levels, with parties increasingly relying on the AfD to pass contentious measures. At the same time, political parties have contorted themselves into awkward and cumbersome coalitions just to prevent the far-right from holding governing power. And, until the recent crisis, parliamentary cooperation hadn’t been seen on the federal level since the end of World War II.
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel, a previous leader of the CDU and one of Germany’s longest tenured leaders, spoke out against Merz. She criticized his decision as “wrong” and noted that he had broken not only long-established taboo, but also his pledge to rely on the Social Democratic and Green Parties—and not the AfD—to enact legislation. The center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens were both part of Germany’s last governing coalition until its failure in late 2024.
Merz, for his part, has maintained that he did not violate Brandmauer and reiterated his refusal to form a coalition with the AfD. He also pointed to a January knife attack in Aschaffenburg–committed by an asylum seeker–as having forced his hand, saying that he “could no longer justify [waiting to take action] with his conscience.” Immigration has been a core concern for German voters for years, taking on increased significance following an influx of refugees to the country in 2015. The SPD & CDU’s perceived weakness on the issue has often been cited as contributing to the rise of the AfD, who have consistently taken second place in recent opinion polls and are on track for their best electoral results ever.
Some commentators worry that Merz’s cooperation will help to make the AfD more salonfähig (socially acceptable) and thus bolster their political standing. Others have theorized that it provides new hope for incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his battered SPD, who have been notching abysmal polling numbers over the past few months. A renewed message and continued criticism of Merz’s handling of the current situation might provide just the boost they need with mere days to go before ballots are cast.
Ultimately, only time will tell how the saga influences voters, but one thing is certain: regardless of the victor, things won’t be getting easier for Germany’s next chancellor any time soon.