German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sharply criticized Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the Bundestag on Wednesday following its strong victory in the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt. The party won nearly 44 percent of the vote, moving closer to the possibility of securing the post of state premier. Le Monde ↗
The parliamentary debate formally concerned the draft federal budget for 2027, but its main topic was the consequences of the elections in Saxony-Anhalt. AfD chairwoman and leader of its parliamentary group, Alice Weidel, addressed the deputies, calling the government's budget proposal a capitulation. Sueddeutsche Zeitung ↗
Merz accused the AfD of destructive politics and criticized its migration proposals. According to the chancellor, the planned measures represent a form of ethnic cleansing. Weidel responded to his remarks during a sharp exchange of views in the general debate. BBC News ↗
The election result also deepened the pressure on the German Christian Democratic Union in Saxony-Anhalt. The incumbent state premier, after the election defeat, had himself elected chairman of the parliamentary group, creating an unusual situation in which he serves simultaneously as premier and as a kind of opposition leader. The state CDU is to elect a new leadership in the fall, and deputy Sepp Müller has already announced his candidacy for the chairman's post. Welt ↗
The Bundestag will continue negotiations on the 2027 budget in the coming days. However, the political debate remains significantly influenced by the AfD's success in the eastern German state and the dispute over the further direction of government policy. n-tv ↗
Merz sharply criticizes AfD in Bundestag after election victory
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Sources (12)
„Wer zu allen Seiten offen ist, der ist nicht ganz dicht“ – Sepp Müller legt nach Merz-Rüge nach
Welt
| 07:10 08.09.
Generaldebatte im Bundestag: Merz wirft AfD Plan zu „ethnischen Säuberungen“ vor
Tagesspiegel
| 13:09 09.09.
Ministerpräsident lässt sich zum Fraktionschef wählen: Mit diesem Manöver schadet Wahlverlierer Schulze seinem Land
Tagesspiegel
| 13:01 09.09.
En Allemagne, Friedrich Merz fustige l’AfD et son projet de « nettoyage ethnique », après la victoire du parti d’extrême droite en Saxe-Anhalt
Le Monde
| 12:49 09.09.
German far right’s ‘remigration’ plans amount to ethnic cleansing, says Merz
Politico Europe
| 12:38 09.09.
Sachsen-Anhalt: Wirtschaftsweise warnen nach AfD-Erfolg vor Reformstopp
Spiegel.de
| 07:34 08.09.
Bundestag zu Sachsen-Anhalt-Wahl: Die AfD ist hier der Star
n-tv
| 13:31 09.09.
Germany's Merz attacks AfD in stormy debate after far-right election win
BBC News
| 13:24 09.09.
Bundestag: Für Alice Weidel ist weiterhin jeder Tag Doomsday
Sueddeutsche Zeitung
| 13:10 09.09.
Generaldebatte im Bundestag: Kommt der Kanzler wieder in die Offensive?
Tagesspiegel
| 09:10 09.09.
Liveblog: ++ Schlagabtausch im Bundestag - Start der Generaldebatte ++
Tagesschau
| 09:07 09.09.
Umbau der CDU-Spitze in Sachsen-Anhalt - Bundestagsabgeordneter Sepp Müller will Landeschef Schulze beerben - wofür steht er?
Deutschlandfunk
| 08:25 08.09.
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