Merz Under Pressure as Germany’s AfD Gains Ground and the Chancellor Warns of Extremism

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing growing political pressure from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), with his centrist coalition struggling to hold voters’ attention, NPR reported earlier this month.

On October 7, an AfD member was elected president of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament with support from lawmakers outside the party, Haaretz reported. Merz responded by saying the AfD is incompatible with his Christian Democrats and warning that extremism was entering the country’s legislatures.

In a speech to the Bundestag, reported by DW on October 14, Merz acknowledged that some of the anger driving extremism comes from legitimate grievances but urged constructive action rather than division. DW noted his conservatives are struggling in the polls and asked whether his coalition can last until the next elections in 2029.

The argument between Merz and the AfD

Merz has not held back in describing the party’s policies. NPR reported that he told lawmakers the party’s word “remigration” is a synonym for ethnic cleansing based on origin and skin colour, which drew jeers from AfD benches. The AfD denies that reading, and its co-leader Alice Weidel argues her party is Germany’s new “big tent” party.

Merz has also conceded that statistics alone will not win people over. He told journalists that politicians, himself included, must try to reach people on an emotional level, NPR reported. Analysts quoted by NPR said his government’s messaging on its reform agenda has been too negative compared with the AfD’s promise that everything is possible.

Sources: NPR; Haaretz; DW News.

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