Merkel again criticizes Merz over vote with AfD
- Hge News
- Feb 6
- 2 min read
The former German chancellor said it was not right to remain silent after her party, the conservative CDU, relied on votes from the far-right AfD to pass a motion in parliament.
Germany's former Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeated her criticism of her party leader Friedrich Merz for relying on votes from the far-right AfD to pass a motion in parliament.
She didn't think it was right "to remain silent in such a crucial situation," Merkel said on Wednesday at an event hosted by Die Zeit newspaper.
It was "a question of fundamental importance."
Friedrich Merz, the leader of the opposition CDU, used the backing of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to see a non-binding resolution on border policy passed in parliament last week.
The move sparked nationwide protests as Merz attracted criticism for breaking the post-Nazi norm — known as the "firewall" — of never passing any legislation with the support of far-right parties.
After the vote, Merkel accused Merz of breaking a pledge he made following the collapse of Germany's coalition government not to work with the AfD to pass legislation.
Merkel, who once led the CDU, said in the statement she thought it was "wrong" for Merz "to no longer feel bound by this proposal."
Using AfD backing shouldn't happen'
Asked on Wednesday about her criticism of Merz, Merkel said that "even under difficult conditions," working with the AfD to gain a majority shouldn't happen.
Since she stepped down in 2021 after more than 15 years as German chancellor, Merkel has rarely criticized CDU policies.
For his part, Merz, who is the CDU chancellor candidate in Germany's February election, rejected Merkel's criticism.
He blamed the rise of the AfD on Merkel's open-door migration policies during the refugee crisis. In 2015, when she was chancellor, Merkel decided to allow more than a million asylum seekers into Germany, many of whom came from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Comments