The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on Wednesday taunted Chancellor Friedrich Merz in parliament following its significant victory in a regional election, while Merz rebuked the party, asserting it would not achieve a national majority.
In the state of Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD secured its largest win to date, while Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) lost approximately half of its support. This result highlights the AfD's ability to capitalize on voter discontent beyond its primary focus on immigration, as the national government grapples with a sluggish economy.
AfD's national co-leader, Alice Weidel, directly addressed Merz during the annual budget debate, stating that voters in Saxony-Anhalt had not only punished the CDU but "pulverized" the party. "You haven't understood the message that voters in Saxony-Anhalt sent you on Sunday," Weidel declared. "But that isn't relevant because your time has run out anyway. Citizens want a change of policy and they will get it."
Merz acknowledged the AfD's "remarkable" performance but pointed out the party's failure to secure an absolute majority in the regional election, a condition it had set for governing. "You don't have the absolute majority, and you won't achieve it in Germany. You won't get majorities anywhere in Germany with these policies," Merz responded. He characterized the AfD as a "destructive force."
The debate also focused on the AfD's position regarding the war in Ukraine and its proposed immigration policies. Merz criticized the AfD's opposition to aid for Ukraine and its advocacy for lifting sanctions against Russia. "While the U.S. is making another attempt to end the murderous Ukraine war, you are stepping up the war propaganda and the confrontation with Russia, and burning the last bridges to distract from your own disastrous political record," Weidel countered, accusing Merz's government of promoting confrontation. Merz vowed Germany would continue its support for Ukraine and accused the AfD of a "grotesque inversion of perpetrator and victim" for aligning with Russia.
Merz also attacked the AfD's use of the term "remigration," which he described as a synonym for ethnic cleansing and warned would cripple essential sectors of the economy. He differentiated the government's stance from the AfD's, emphasizing that while deportations might increase, there was a distinction between those who have a right to reside in Germany and those who do not.
Upcoming elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on September 20 are also anticipated to be closely watched, particularly in eastern Germany where the AfD holds considerable strength.
The AfD's regional success has drawn attention from other far-right parties in Europe and from former U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump commented on his Truth Social platform that the "Populist Party in Germany" had a "really big night" due to "horrible Immigration rules and regulations."