Germany’s Merz attacks AfD in stormy debate after far-right election win
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz clashed openly with far-right AfD leader Alice Weidel in the Bundestag, their first confrontation since the AfD's sweeping victory in Sunday's Saxony-Anhalt state election. Merz branded the AfD a "destructive force" and said its "remigration" policy would amount to "ethnic cleansing" of skilled workers based on origin and skin colour, while Weidel accused his coalition of failing voters and driving Germany towards bankruptcy. The exchange matters because it marks the first time a far-right party has won a state election outright since the Second World War, prompting Merz to describe the result as "seismic" for German politics.
The AfD took almost 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, more than doubling support and halving that of Merz's Christian Democrats, who fell to 17.2%, though the party remains three seats short of a majority needed to govern. The session grew so disorderly that Bundestag President Julia Klöckner threatened to eject heckling AfD MPs, telling them "we are not on a football pitch." US President Donald Trump praised the AfD's result, and a planned 9/11 anniversary call between Trump and Merz was abruptly postponed without explanation. The AfD, labelled "right-wing extremist" by German intelligence in the state, has signalled openness to coalition talks, potentially with the BSW, and one of its officials suggested Merz's CDU could join it if the party dropped its longstanding "firewall" policy against cooperating with the far right.
In short
- Merz and Weidel clashed fiercely after AfD's historic Saxony-Anhalt election win
- AfD won nearly 44%, first far-right state win since WWII, coalition talks unclear
- Trump praised AfD victory; his 9/11 call with Merz was postponed
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Merz’s critics argue that the AfD’s record result makes it especially important to challenge its programme and defend democratic norms, including the CDU’s refusal to govern with a party labelled right-wing extremist by state intelligence. They see the proposed “remigration” policy as a threat to people’s rights and to Germany’s ability to retain skilled workers, and believe clear public opposition is warranted even when it sharpens political tensions.
The case against
Weidel and AfD supporters argue that the result reflects deep voter dissatisfaction with the governing parties, which they see as failing to address economic pressures and other public concerns. They contend that the AfD’s strong mandate should earn it a role in government and that its proposals on migration deserve debate on their merits, rather than being dismissed through labels or a firewall against cooperation.
Explained simply
Germany is governed at national level by a chancellor and a parliament called the Bundestag. The Christian Democrats, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, are in government with coalition partners; the Alternative for Germany (AfD), led by Alice Weidel, is a far-right opposition party.
German voters also elect state parliaments, which decide some local and regional matters. Saxony-Anhalt is one of Germany’s 16 states, and the AfD’s strong showing there has raised questions about how other parties will respond if it seeks a role in government.
The CDU and other established parties have long followed a “firewall” policy, refusing to govern with or formally cooperate with the AfD. The election has put that approach under pressure and matters for the balance of power in the state as well as the future shape of German politics.
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