A shock in Berlin: Yesterday's vote on Friedrich Merz's migration policy plan, which was approved by the votes of the "Alternative for Germany", caused a storm of reactions. The far-right speaks of a "new era".
For the first time in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, a far-right political force has helped a centrist party form a majority: yesterday, January 29, a migration policy proposal by the chairman of the CDU/CSU and candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz was adopted by the votes of the "Alternative for Germany" (AfD). The vote was preceded by a two-hour debate with shouting and insults.
The deputies spoke of a tectonic shift in German politics. The right-wing populists announced the beginning of a new era, and the Left Party called on their fellow citizens to go "to the barricades". Green Party co-chair Britta Hasselbach called the moment "historic". This is how the MP from "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) Bernd Baumann defined it. According to him, a new era is beginning in Germany, led by the AfD: "And you, Mr. Merz, can still follow us. If you have the strength". Earlier, Merz had stated that he regretted attracting votes from the AfD.
Migration - a central topic for the early elections in Germany
The adopted proposal by Friedrich Merz calls for passport control at all external borders of Germany, a ban on entry into the country of people without documents, increased police powers to expel illegal immigrants and more deportations. It is declarative in nature, and the Bundestag plans to consider the relevant bill on Friday.
"Current domestic political issues" - this was at first glance the ordinary and innocuous-sounding item on the Bundestag's agenda for January 29, which provided for a 25-minute statement by the Chancellor and an hour and a half of discussion. But the night before, in a joint statement, representatives of the two Christian churches in Germany sharply condemned Friedrich Merz's plans to limit illegal migration. Then it became clear that this discussion would proceed differently. And so it happened: the session was repeatedly interrupted by shouting, the chairwoman called for order and even turned off the microphone for those who did not respect the time limit.
Sholz accused the opposition of breaking its promises
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reminded the parliament that humanity and justice are values inherent in German society, and that the right to political asylum is guaranteed by the constitution and therefore cannot be the subject of political disputes. In his opinion, the recent tragedy in Aschaffenburg, as well as other deadly incidents committed by mentally unstable migrants, could and should have been avoided with the help of already existing laws. According to the chancellor, it is not new federal laws that should ensure safety on the streets of German cities, but the implementation of existing laws at the state level.
"We are the only country in Europe that has managed to organize the deportation of illegal immigrants to Afghanistan," Scholz recalled. "Believe me, it is extremely difficult to negotiate with the Taliban. But we did it." The authorities in Berlin deported 36 Afghan citizens to Kabul on a Qatar Airways plane in September 2024 - shortly before local elections in three eastern German states.
"No EU economy makes money from open borders and open markets in the way we do," said Scholz. He accused the conservatives of breaking their own promises on the issue of principled non-cooperation with the right-wing populists of the AfD, which representatives of all other factions in the Bundestag had agreed to before the start of this election campaign.
Merz's proposal was also sharply criticized by former CDU Chancellor Angela Merkel. She called it "wrong" and called on the Christian Democratic candidate for chancellor to return to his previous position of non-cooperation with the far right.
"Alternative for Germany" is gaining ground ahead of the elections
A month before the early elections to the Bundestag, the gap in opinion polls between the CDU/CSU and AfD is narrowing: in a YouGov study published on January 29, the bloc of Christian Democrats and the Christian Social Union (29%) leads the right-wing populists (23%) by just 6 percentage points. And voters for Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats have fallen to 15%.
What next?
There will be a new vote on Friday. Then the Bundestag will also vote on a bill that - if adopted by the Bundesrat - will have to be implemented by the federal government.
It provides, for example, for the suspension of family reunification for foreign families with members with limited protection status. Currently, there is an upper limit of 1,000 people per month. In addition, the so-called Law on Restricting the Inflow of People stipulates that if the federal police come across people who are obliged to leave the country, they can take measures to directly terminate their stay - for example, they can send them back to other countries.
This bill is likely to have a majority in the Bundestag. In addition to the CDU/CSU, support has been signaled by the liberals, the AfD and the CCW. If it is actually approved, it should also be voted on by the Bundesrat. But - if the deadline is not shortened - the Bundesrat will only decide on the bill after the elections. If it is approved there too, the federal president will have to sign the law.