Germany's Merz attacks AfD in stormy debate after far-right election win
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and AfD leader Alice Weidel engaged in a heated parliamentary debate following the AfD's significant electoral success in Saxony-Anhalt. Merz criticized the party's migration policies as extremist, while the AfD challenged the stability of the current coalition government.
Why it matters
The rise of the far-right AfD in Germany represents a significant shift in European politics, challenging established democratic norms and migration policies.
Image source, Getty Images/Reuters Image caption, Merz and Weidel faced off for the first time since Sunday's AfD election victory
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has clashed with AfD leader Alice Weidel in parliament, calling her party a "destructive force" with a migration policy that amounts to "ethnic cleansing" for skilled workers.
Merz was addressing the Bundestag in the aftermath of the anti-immigration party's sweeping victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt where it won almost 44% of the vote, while the chancellor's conservatives saw their vote halved.
Weidel told MPs that voters had shown that Merz's coalition with the centre left was a total failure and his time was up.
Merz hit back saying the AfD had harmed German interests by backing Russia, and its "remigration" policy would affect millions.
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