Germany’s opposition CDU leader, Friedrich Merz, once again defended his decision to back an anti-illegal migration motion with votes from the right-wing AfD—while insisting he’d never form a coalition with them.
During his first direct debate with Chancellor Olaf Scholz on February 9, Merz justified his move by citing the murder of a two-year-old by an Afghan failed asylum seeker, saying he couldn’t “justify inaction any longer.” Scholz, however, accused him of breaking his pledge never to work with AfD, warning that he had shattered the political firewall around the party.
Migration has dominated Germany’s election campaign, fueled by rising knife attacks and years of pro-migrant policies. With the CDU leading in polls at 29% and AfD close behind at 22%, Merz hopes his tough stance will reclaim voters from the right-wing party. Meanwhile, Scholz’s SPD lags at just 16%, despite touting government efforts to control irregular migration. Merz dismissed these measures as “wishful thinking,” pointing out that more migrants enter Germany in four days than are deported in a month.
The economy also took center stage. Merz hammered Scholz over three years of recession, soaring unemployment, and mass business closures. He slammed the government’s decision to shut down nuclear power plants amid an energy crisis, while Scholz countered that the phase-out was originally set in motion by Angela Merkel’s CDU-led government.
On Ukraine, both leaders struck a new tone, cautiously supporting peace talks, especially if Donald Trump returns to the White House. However, while Scholz had initially hesitated on military aid, Merz pledged to send long-range Taurus missiles if elected.
Notably absent from the debate was AfD’s Alice Weidel, despite her party polling second. The state-funded broadcaster’s decision to exclude her sparked criticism over media bias. Weidel later claimed that Merz would likely team up with left-wing parties post-election, ensuring no real change on migration or the economy.
With elections looming on February 23, the battle lines are drawn—immigration, the economy, and foreign policy will define Germany’s political future.
