Chancellor Merz Fires Shots at AfD in Stormy Parliamentary Debate

Wed Sep 09 2026 14:08:45 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Germany’s chancellor clashes with far‑right party in heated Bundestag debate over migration policy and election wins.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader Alice Weidel fought loudly in the Bundestag after the party’s sharp surge in Saxony‑Anhalt. Merz dubbed the AfD a "destructive force" and warned its remigration plan could turn into "ethnic cleansing". The debate escalated to the point where the parliamentary president threatened to eject MPs, and the AfD remains three seats shy of a majority there. This clash marks the biggest electoral win for a far‑right party in Germany since WWII.

Chancellor Merz Fires Shots at AfD in Stormy Parliamentary Debate

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader Alice Weidel clashed hard in the Bundestag after AfD’s sharp rise in a state election, with Merz calling the party a "destructive force" and warning that its migration drive equates to "ethnic cleansing."

The spat erupted when AfD won nearly 44% of votes in Saxony‑Anhalt, a territory that has never seen a far‑right party in power. Weidel slammed the coalition with the Social Democratic Party (SPD), saying it had lost Germany’s way to "bankruptcy." Merz countered that AfD’s pro‑Russia stance damages national interests and that its "remigration" scheme would starve millions of German jobs.

The debate was so heated that Bundestag President Julia Klöckner threatened to eject MPs from the chamber, noting the room was far from a football pitch.

With the AfD only three seats shy of a majority in Saxony‑Anhalt, it remains unclear whether it can ever form a state government, marking the largest electoral win for a far‑right party since World War Two.