German conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz has defended his hardline migration proposals after a wave of protests accused him of breaching the long-standing political 'firewall' against the far right. In a combative speech to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party congress in Berlin, Merz expressed confidence his party would win the 23 February general election with a strong result, ahead of the anti-immigration Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), which consistently polls second.
Five days after passing a non-binding resolution on border policy with AfD votes—a historic taboo breach—Merz reiterated his promise to bar any formal cooperation with the far-right party. 'We will not work with the Alternative für Deutschland – not before [the election], not after – never,' he said, receiving a lengthy standing ovation. He called the AfD 'our most important opponent' and vowed to reduce it to 'a footnote'.
Merz took an aggressive stance against tens of thousands of protesters who demonstrated across Germany at the weekend, accusing them of hypocrisy. He demanded to know 'where is the uprising of decent people?' in response to antisemitism and hatred of Israel since the 7 October Hamas attacks, claiming the reaction had been 'too hesitant'. He told protesters: 'You picked the wrong date and the wrong issue.'
Emphasising a law-and-order message, Merz argued mainstream parties must offer tougher responses to violent crimes, such as last month's deadly stabbing attack on children in Aschaffenburg, or risk losing ground to extremists. He warned that 'open outbreaks of violence' on streets during events like New Year's Eve and May Day undermine public faith in the rule of law, making the state appear 'powerless and defenceless'.
Merz said a government under his leadership would show that the democratic order can meet challenges within a reasonable timeframe, or else Germany risks 'sliding into leftist or rightwing populism'. The non-binding resolution, which called for stricter measures against irregular immigration including turning back more people at the border, passed with AfD support. Critics argue many proposals violate EU or German law. On Friday, the German parliament rejected CDU-sponsored draft legislation that risked being the first bill passed with far-right votes.
