Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said in an interview with the German tabloid Bild that former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's migration policies were a major catalyst for the rise of the far-right party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD), which is currently in second place in the upcoming national elections on February 23, quoted by News.bg.
"Without the migration policies since 2015, the AfD would not be as strong," Kurz said, stressing that ignoring voters' concerns had alienated them and led them to support far-right movements.
The comments come as Merkel, who led Germany from 2005 to 2021, is back in the political spotlight. In a rare intervention, she criticized the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, for his decision to turn to the AfD for support for an anti-immigration proposal that violates the long-standing "shield" of the party against the far right.
Kurz, who also led the Austrian People's Party, dismissed concerns that Merz's strategy could be in line with the far right, stressing that politicians should lead with principle and not succumb to support from those at the extreme end of the spectrum. "Fear of agreeing with the AfD is no excuse for doing the wrong thing," he added.
However, left-wing parties in Germany are starting to draw parallels between the growing influence of the far right in Germany and the political transformation in Austria, where the far-right Freedom Party of Austria could soon take power.
Green Party leader Robert Habeck warned that Germany could follow Austria's example, stressing that it would be a serious test of the country's democratic stability. "If it can happen in Austria, it can happen in Germany," Habeck said, urging voters to reject the normalization of far-right politics.