Merz Accuses AfD of 'Ethnic Cleansing' Policy in Heated Bundestag Exchange After Far-Right State Election Win

In a stormy session of the Bundestag, Merz called the AfD a 'destructive force' and directly challenged Weidel, whose party won almost 44% of the vote in Sunday's state election. The chancellor's conservative bloc saw its vote share halved in Saxony-Anhalt, a result Merz described as 'seismic' and one that has changed Germany.

Weidel told MPs that voters had shown Merz's coalition with the centre-left was a total failure and that his time was up. The AfD leader was repeatedly heckled by her own party's MPs as Merz responded.

Merz argued that one in six skilled workers has a migration background, and that the AfD's 'remigration' policy—a term the party uses to describe the deportation of irregular migrants—would affect millions. 'If her party had its way, its policy would amount to nothing other than an ethnic cleansing in the skilled trades based on skin colour and origin,' Merz said.

While the government acknowledges some deportations are needed, Merz said it makes a careful distinction between those who contribute to German prosperity and those without permanent residency. The AfD in Saxony-Anhalt has been labelled 'right-wing extremist' by German domestic intelligence and has promised a 'deportation and remigration' offensive.

It remains unclear whether the AfD will be able to form a government in Saxony-Anhalt, having fallen three seats short of an outright majority. No far-right party has held power in any of Germany's 16 states since World War Two.

The AfD's success drew praise from US President Donald Trump, who said 'the Populist Party in Germany just had a really big night,' linking the victory to 'absolutely horrible immigration rules and regulations.'

Disruption by AfD MPs became so loud during the debate that Bundestag President Julia Klöckner threatened to start expelling people from the chamber.

Why This Matters

The AfD's victory in Saxony-Anhalt, where it was branded 'right-wing extremist' by domestic intelligence, marks a historic high for a far-right party in a German state election, breaking post-WWII taboos.
The heated parliamentary clash highlights the deepening polarization in German politics, with centrist and far-right visions of migration policy now in direct confrontation.
The result could embolden the AfD ahead of national elections and pressure Merz's coalition to take a harder line on immigration, while also alarming Germany's European partners.

Background

Germany has grappled with migration politics since the 2015 migrant crisis, when over a million asylum seekers arrived. The AfD, founded in 2013 as an anti-euro party, has since shifted hard-right, focusing on anti-immigration and anti-Islam rhetoric. Its Saxony-Anhalt branch is under observation by the state's domestic intelligence service as a suspected extremist organization. Sunday's result—nearly 44%—is the highest ever for the AfD in any state election, surpassing its previous best. Merz's centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has traditionally dominated in Saxony-Anhalt but saw its vote halved.

Key Perspectives

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU/CSU): Sees the AfD as a threat to German democracy and prosperity, arguing its 'remigration' policy would harm the economy by driving away skilled workers with migration backgrounds. AfD Leader Alice Weidel: Characterizes the election result as a referendum against Merz's coalition, claiming voters have declared his government a failure and calling for new elections. Critics/Sceptics: Some analysts question whether the AfD's 'remigration' rhetoric is a thinly veiled call for mass deportations that could violate constitutional and EU law. Others note that the party remains unable to form a government in Saxony-Anhalt due to a lack of coalition partners, limiting its actual power.

What to Watch

Whether the AfD can form a government in Saxony-Anhalt despite being three seats short of a majority, or whether other parties will isolate it as they have done in other states.
The reaction of Merz's coalition partners and whether the result accelerates a shift toward stricter immigration policy at the federal level.
Any further statements from US President Trump or other international figures that could influence the AfD's standing.

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