After Wednesday’s vote in the German Bundestag on the Christian Democratic Union’s (CDU/CSU) proposal to strengthen migration rules, it is clear that the right-wing, anti-immigration Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has finally broken through the political firewall—the cordon sanitaire, if you will—that mainstream parties had imposed against them. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán welcomed the developments in one of the European Union’s most influential member states, writing in a post on X: ‘Guten Morgen, Deutschland! Welcome to the club!’
CDU leader Friedrich Merz, who is widely expected to become Germany’s next chancellor, announced that his party would put forward a proposal for stricter migration rules following last week’s knife attack in Aschaffenburg. The attack, committed by an Afghan migrant, resulted in the deaths of two people, including a two-year-old child. The CDU’s five-point proposal includes maintaining permanent border checks, rejecting all attempts at illegal entry, detaining individuals ordered to leave the country, increasing support for states to enforce deportation orders, and tightening residency rules for offenders and potential security threats.
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens—who currently lead the acting government following the departure of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) from the coalition in 2024—opposed the proposal, arguing that it was incompatible with the German constitution and EU migration laws. As a result, the CDU needed AfD’s support to pass the non-binding motion. AfD co-chair Alice Weidel had already signalled the party’s willingness to cooperate with the CDU in an open letter following the Aschaffenburg attack.
However, Merz faced a tough decision: passing a motion with AfD’s support would effectively dismantle the firewall that mainstream parties have maintained against the right-wing party since its foundation in 2013. Ultimately, CDU accepted AfD’s backing, marking a significant political shift.
Following the motion’s passage in the Bundestag, Weidel called it ‘a historic day for Germany’ in a post on X, accusing mainstream parties of disrespecting German voters by isolating AfD. Weidel also responded for Orbán, stating that ‘it is nice to be part of your club.’
Bernd Baumann, AfD’s first parliamentary secretary, declared that the vote signalled the definitive end of ‘red-green dominance in Germany,’ adding: ‘A new era is beginning here and now, and we are leading it!’
Acting German chancellor Olaf Scholz sharply criticised Merz for breaking with long-standing political traditions, accusing him of being willing to govern alongside AfD after the February elections. Scholz also compared Merz to Orbán for wanting to revise German migration policy.
In a rare statement, former chancellor Angela Merkel—whose Wilkommenskultur policy has been widely blamed for the security crisis that has led to repeated migrant-related terror attacks in Germany—also criticised Merz. She stated that he was wrong to ‘no longer feel bound’ by the political agreement that mainstream parties would not put forward proposals that could only pass with AfD’s support.
According to the latest polls, CDU/CSU’s support has dropped three points in the wake of Merz’s migration crackdown pledge, falling to 28 per cent. Scholz’s SPD gained two points, reaching 17 per cent, while AfD also saw a two-point increase, rising to 21 per cent. With elections set for 23 February, immigration has become the dominant campaign issue.
However, on Thursday afternoon, lawmakers will consider a proposal to direct Germany’s top court to examine whether AfD qualifies as an anti-constitutional party, a preliminary step toward legally banning it under German law. While progressive NGOs are pushing hard for a ban, mainstream parties fear that such a move could trigger unforeseeable consequences, potentially fuelling a further surge in support for AfD.
Related articles:
