Merkel criticizes the first cyclist Merz about migration with extreme right support

Berlin (AP) – Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday, delivered rare public criticisms of his successor as the leader of the center-right of the country, the front of the head of the German elections next month, for having put in parliament proposals for new difficult migration rules which are not adopted that With the help of a far -right party.

Parties in the center-left of Germany questioned the fact that the conservative chief Friedrich Merz can always trust so as not to bring the Extreme right alternative for GermanyOr AFD, in government after Wednesday events. He insists that he did not work it and will not work with it, and that it has not broken political consensus, often called a “firewall”, to avoid the party. But Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Merz had made “an inexcusable error”.

Merz, determined to show the commitment of his union-right-right block to Cut irregular migration After a mortal knife attack Last week, by a rejected asylum researcher, put a non -binding motion in Parliament calling for Germany to bring back much more migrants at his borders, although he may require AFD support. The measure has climbed thanks to the support of the far -right party.

The polls show that the Merz union leading before the February 23 elections with support of around 30%, while AFD is second with around 20%, and the social democrats of the Scholz center-left and their remaining coalition partners, the Greens, are further back.

Merkel, a former chief of the Merz Christian Christian Union, noted in a rare declaration that Merz had declared in November that no measure should be adopted with the support of AFD before the election of February 23.

She said that she had supported this post, but “I think it was wrong not to feel engaged in this proposal and, on January 29, to activate with the eyes open for the first time a majority with AFD votes during a vote in the German Parliament. “”

Merkel added that “all democratic parties” must work together – “not as a tactical maneuver”, and while respecting European Union law – to do everything to prevent attacks such as last week and others lessons in recent months when suspects were immigrants.

Merz took over the CDU after Merkel, a former rival, resigned as a chancellor in 2021. A more conservative figure, he took a more restrictive position on migration. He said last week that Germany had an “erroneous and immigration asylum policy” for a decade – since Merkel granted a large number of migrants in the country.

Merkel has largely kept a low profile since its office exit, generally does not comment on daily policy and no longer has an active influence in his party. However, his intervention could be problematic for Merz.

Merz seems to be hoping that he will get support by making the union decisive by forcing a more difficult approach to migration, dulling the appeal of anti-immigration AFD, while making the Scholz center-left and the Greens are weak. It is not certain that it will succeed.

AFD legislators celebrated after Wednesday’s vote while others were seated in the stony face. Merz said that he had sought a majority at the “democratic center” and that he regretted that this did not happen. But he also insisted that “a correct decision is not mistaken because bad people approve it”.

Friday, the union plans to call a vote on the legislation proposed by months which calls for the end of family meetings for migrants with a protection status which is not asylum. The measure could also pass with AFD votes, although it would require approval of the upper room of the Parliament, which is uncertain.

This week’s events have embittered the political atmosphere and can complicate efforts to form a coalition after the elections, which could let Merz need central left parties to take power.

Wolfgang Schroeder, professor of political science in Berlin Social Science Center, said it was an “violation of the informal firewall” and a “toxic intervention by Merz and the CDU”, which can Help them in this election but which are likely to have negative longer -term effects.

He said that this week’s events in Parliament are “a symbolic policy that should not be underestimated”, but also said that it “would be careful with the category of a historic moment. “”

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Kerstin Sopke in Berlin contributed to this report.