Key facts
- The AfD filed a defamation complaint against Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
- Merz described the AfD's 'remigration' plans as 'ethnic cleansing'.
- Stephan Brandner, an AfD member of the Bundestag, stated Merz's remarks crossed a legal line.
- Merz made the comments during a Bundestag debate on Wednesday.
- The AfD's 'remigration' concept refers to the return or deportation of migrants.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party announced on September 11, 2026, that it had filed a defamation complaint against Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The complaint stems from remarks Merz made during a Bundestag debate on Wednesday, where he characterized the AfD's 'remigration' plans as a synonym for 'ethnic cleansing based on origin and skin color.'
Stephan Brandner, a senior member of the AfD's parliamentary group, stated that Merz's insinuation of ethnic cleansing, which he equated to expulsions and murders, crossed a legal line and warranted judicial action. Under Article 46 of Germany's Basic Law, Bundestag members typically have immunity for statements made in parliament, but this protection does not extend to defamatory insults.
Merz's comments come days after the AfD won a landslide victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. The AfD's concept of 'remigration' encompasses the deportation of migrants without legal status and the mass removal of immigrants and their descendants. The party included a chapter on 'immigration and remigration' in its election program for Saxony-Anhalt.
Merz also attacked the AfD over its Russia-friendly positions, accusing the party of ignoring the threat facing Germany and of supporting Russian disinformation campaigns aimed at destabilizing the country.