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That's Quite the Gamble

German opposition leader Friedrich Merz: I will strengthen border control - even with AfD votes

With German elections approaching, the presumed frontrunner has declared his intention to crack down on the border and asylum seekers - even if it means receiving support from the far-right AfD.

Avi Woolf
Avi Woolf
2 min read
Opposition leader Friedrich Merz.
Photo: photocosmos1/Shutterstock

German opposition leader and leader of the Christian-Democratic Union party Friedrich Merz announced today that he intended to introduce legislation including permanent border controls and police - and that he would not be opposed to passing it on the votes of the far-right AfD, according to DW.

Merz's party is expected to win the coming federal elections on February 23, with him becoming German Chancellor, and many fear that this willingness to rely on AfD votes, even if the party is not an official part of the coalition, could break the traditional boycott of a party containing elements considered radical enough to be surveilled by the country's security forces.

Merz said at a press conference at CDU headquarters that "Neither the SPD nor the Greens, and certainly not the AfD are going to tell us what draft laws we bring before parliament. It's up to the SPD and the Greens and the liberals to prevent majorities that none of us want.

Merz further asserted that "There are 40,000 asylum applicants who need to be deported. A local politician told me this weekend that there are ticking time bombs walking around our towns and communities."

Merz's approach faces a very steep climb, as EU rules and EU courts strongly protect both the right to asylum and the right to move around freely within countries belonging to the European Union, and no country can unilaterally suspend these rules without the support of all others.

The desire to crack down on the border and tighten asylum rules comes in the wake of multiple terrorist attacks committed by formal asylum seekers throughout Germany, leading to popular protest over the policy.

Elon Musk courted controversy with the AfD by attending a party rally and encouraging them, telling them to stop being ashamed of their national identity or of being German.


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