Friedrich Merz, who may be the next chancellor, accepted AFD support for approval of his proposal. Photo: Reproduction

The Parliament of Germany approved on Wednesday (30), with votes of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the far right of the alternative to Germany (AFD), a motion that hardens the rules of immigration. The decision marks a historical inflection in German politics and triggered a strong reaction from former Chancellor Angela Merkel, who criticized his successor at CDU, Friedrich Merz, for abandoning previous commitments to the democratic field.

The project, led by Friedrich Merz, CDU candidate for the position of Chancellor for the next elections on February 23, provides for the systematic refusal of asylum requests on the German border, the increase in the deportation of immigrants considered “dangerous” and the review of the principle of family regrouping for refugees.

Although it has no force of law, the measure pressures immediate changes and anticipates the CDU electoral platform, which has placed immigration as the central theme of the campaign.

Bundestag approved the motion for 348 votes in favor and 344 against, and 41 other abstention votes. The Union, a coalition between the CDU and the Christian Social Union (CSU), a party that operates only in Bavaria, contributed 187 votes from the 348 in favor.

The German Liberal Party (FDP) was the second largest force of voting for the approval of the 80 -votes in favor and none against. AFD had 75 votes in favor and only an abstention.

Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), the alliance 90/The Green (Greens), the Die Linke (left) party voted against the motion.

The vote was like this:

✅ In favor (348 votes):

CDU/CSU: 187 votes

FDP: 80 Votos

AFD: 75 votes

None: 6 votos

❌ Against (344 votes):

SPD: 200 votes

Greens: 115 votes

The Left (Die Linke): 26 votes

None: 2 votos

CDU/CSU: 1 vote

Victory represents the first time that a legislative measure is approved in the German parliament with the decisive support of the far right.

Merkel scolds a possible future chancellor and party colleague

In a letter published on Wednesday (29) on his website and widely reverberated in the press, Angela Merkel recalled that Merz had promised to seek agreements only with parties of the so -called “center democracy” and classified the vote as a serious political error.

In the letter, the former chancellor recalled a Merz speech in a budget discussion-which would eventually overthrow Scholz’s coalition.

“In his November 13, 2024 speech at the German Bundestag, the president of the CDU/CSU parliamentary bench and CDU and CSU candidate, Friedrich Merz, said, as recorded in the Bundestag Tachine, among other things:

‘Friedrich Merz: For the few decisions [parlamentares] Remaining that can be taken without the federal budget, I want to make a proposal: we must agree with you, the social democrats, and with you, the green, which we will only put on the plenary agenda the decisions that we have already reached consensus on the agenda substantial with SPD and green ‘.

‘In this way, neither in the definition of the agenda nor in the plenary votes, at no time will there be an occasional or deliberately caused majority with the AFD deputies.

‘I want to expressly propose this agreement to you, ladies and gentlemen. For this is exactly what these far right ladies and ladies would like: that suddenly they were to guarantee the majority. ‘

‘We don’t want that. I hope you also see, dear colleagues and dear colleagues, ‘”transcribed Merkel.

The former chancellor warned of the risk of normalizing the support of the far right within the institutions, breaking a taboo that was in force in German politics since World War II:

“This proposal and the attitude associated with it was an expression of great state political responsibility, which I support fully. I consider it an error no longer to be linked to this proposal and thus consciously allows on January 29, 2025, for the first time, a majority in a vote on the Bundestag with AFD votes.

Instead, it is necessary that all democratic parties, together and beyond party borders, not as a tactical maneuver, but honestly in content, moderate in tone and based on current European law, do everything possible To avoid in the future horrible attacks such as recently, just before Christmas in Magdeburg and a few days ago in Aschaffenburg. ”

This Wednesday’s session (29) that approved anti-migration measures

The Bundestag session was marked by direct clashes between Merz and Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The social democrat accused the rival of opening the doors to a CDU government with AFD, a hypothesis that Merz has publicly rejected, but without discarding new votes in partnership with the far right.

The CDU leader defended the hardening of migratory policies as a response to the feeling of insecurity of the population and stated that he does not care about those who vote in favor of their proposals, provided they guarantee majority in Parliament. The latter speech caused laughter from co -religionists.

The CDU turn on the right happens amidst the escalation of the economic crisis in Germany. Data released by the government indicate that the country’s GDP fell 0.2% in the last quarter of 2024, feeding the fear of recession.

German deceleration occurs at a time of political instability, after the collision of Scholz’s government coalition, caused by FDP liberals, which rejected economic stimulus policies. Now, the same party votes alongside AFD on immigration hardening guidelines in an attempt to maintain support from the conservative electorate.

CDU radicalization was classified by analysts as a “dangerous game” for the democratic system. The newspaper Friday He stated that Merz may not be a Nazi, but he acts as a “facilitator” of the far right by giving AFD legitimacy in Parliament. THE New Germany classified the movement as a step towards the dismantling of democratic guarantees and the founding principles of the European Union. The editorial of Spiegel He warned that the CDU cannot continue on this path without serious consequences for German politics.

International scenario with Trump

In addition to the internal political crisis, the German right turn connects to the international context. Donald Trump’s second term in the United States has encouraged European leaders to adopt harder speeches against immigrants in a movement that reinforces the conservative global field. Billionaire Elon Musk, Trump’s ally, has openly declared his support for AFD and participated remotely in event events.

If the vote in Bundestag represented a victory to the far right, it also generated blunt reactions of civil society. Progressive movements, legal associations and political leaders articulate a request for justice to analyze the possibility of prohibiting AFD, under the justification that the party violates democratic principles.

At the same time, demonstrations against the advance of the far right spread throughout several German cities in a growing movement of resistance to political setback.

Less than a month from legislative elections, the German electoral scenario becomes even more uncertain. With CDU leading research and consolidated AFD second, the pressure grows for democratic parties to reinforce a “sanitary cord” against the far right. But this week’s vote showed that this barrier has already begun to crumble.

Source: vermelho.org.br



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