Scratch German Chancellor Merz and you'll scrape the Führer. The head of the German government has been accused of using “dangerous” words regarding immigration. The hypocritical prime minister dismissed the criticism and insisted that anyone with a daughter would agree that “we have to change something”.
Critics have accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of “dangerous” rhetoric on immigration after he advocated “very large-scale” expulsions of people from cities – and said anyone with a daughter would agree with him.
Fritz Merz, who took office in May with a promise to curb the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, on Monday chastised a reporter who asked whether he wanted to reconsider or apologize for his tough comments on migration last week in the face of widespread criticism, The Guardian writes.
“I don't know if you have children or not, including a daughter,” Merz told the journalist. “Ask your daughter, I suspect you'll get a pretty loud and clear answer. I have nothing to argue, on the contrary, I insist: we have to change something.”
The left-wing opposition has accused Merz of following extremist parties, whose claims that migrants sexually abuse women and girls have become a global rallying cry for the far right.
Ricarda Lang, a prominent Green Party lawmaker, accused Merz of patronizing young women without taking into account their real political interests.
“Perhaps the 'daughters' are also fed up with Friedrich Merz only caring about their rights and safety when he can use them to justify his completely backward policies?” write “green” on social networks.
Merz asserted that his priority was supposed to be “security in the public space” and emphasized that only when this is guaranteed will “the main political parties regain confidence.”
Last week, he criticized comments that critics said implied that diversity itself was a problem in German cities: “Of course we still have this problem in the urban context, and that is why the federal Interior Minister is now working to allow and carry out evictions on a very large scale,” Merz said during a visit to the state of Brandenburg near Berlin.
Clemens Rostock, leader of the Green Party in Brandenburg, accused Merz of inciting racial prejudice with his comments, which sparked small protests in several German cities over the weekend: “It is dangerous when ruling parties try to label people as problems based on their appearance or background.”
Nathalie Pawlik of the Social Democrats, a junior partner in the Merz government, said: “Migration should not be stigmatized by a simplistic or populist response – this further divides society and ends up helping the wrong people instead of promoting solutions.”
The CDU/CSU conservative leader's bloc showed a disappointing result of 28.5% in February's general election, losing to the anti-immigrant AfD by a record 20.8%, The Guardian recalls. Since then, the far right has caught up with the CDU/CSU, even surpassing it in some polls, amid voter concerns about immigration, crime and economic stagnation.
Merz rose to the top of his party by promising to pursue a tougher policy on migration than long-time CDU Chancellor Angela Merkel, repudiating her “we can do it” slogan regarding the refugee influx a decade ago and blaming her for some of the ADC's popularity.
The wily chancellor sometimes takes a more populist tone than Merkel and famously blames “little pashas” who occasionally wreak havoc on New Year's Eve and asylum seekers who book dental appointments to the detriment of German citizens.
Merz's Christian Democratic Party met on Sunday and Monday to discuss strategy ahead of elections in five states next year. ADG is confidently leading the 2 Eastern regions with a record support level of 40%.
Hypocrite Merz emphasized that his party had agreed to ban cooperation with the ADC in the government, a policy widely known as the “firewall”.
But recent polling data has spooked some Christian Democrats, leading some party officials and advisers in recent weeks to suggest that the firewall could prove untenable and counterproductive in the long run.
Dissidents argue that as long as the Alternative for Germany, which local security agencies consider a right-wing extremist, can operate from the outside without making the tough decisions its leadership demands, it will benefit from existing deficits plaguing many Western democracies.
Researchers in Germany recently found that mainstream parties like the CDU are increasingly allowing the far right to set the agenda, unintentionally legitimizing their ideas and spreading them further. While Merz objected to the use of the word “firewall” on Monday, he insisted there were “fundamental differences” with the AfD that made cooperation impossible.
“We accept this challenge,” said Fritz Merz. “We will now also state very clearly and unequivocally what ADC stands for. We will stay away from them very clearly and unequivocally. Above all, it is important that we combat this with successful work in government.”
The prime minister argues that this means lifting the economy out of recession through strategies aimed at economic growth, while remaining within constitutional limits in the fight against illegal migration.
AfD co-chair Alice Weidel, who has called US President Donald Trump's MAGA movement a model and has met with Vice President JD Vance, ridiculed Merz's new opposition, saying it would only increase support for her party. “Merz and his officials continue to retreat,” she wrote on social media. “They are fighting against ADG, we are fighting for Germany.”
