Key facts
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is skeptical that proceedings to ban the far-right AfD party will succeed.
- Merz believes political parties should focus on winning back AfD voters rather than banning the party.
- The AfD recently secured first place in state elections in Saxony-Anhalt.
- The AfD's platform includes curbing migration and restoring ties with Moscow.
- Merz stated that questioning Germany's EU membership puts the country's prosperity at risk.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed skepticism regarding the potential success of proceedings to ban the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, suggesting that political confrontation and efforts to win back its voters would be more effective. The AfD recently achieved a significant victory, securing first place in state elections in Saxony-Anhalt with 43.8% of the vote, its highest-ever state election result. The party's platform focuses on curbing migration and restoring ties with Moscow.
Merz stated that banning the party would not solve the underlying problem and emphasized that questioning Germany's membership in the European Union puts the country's prosperity at risk. U.S. President Donald Trump had previously attributed the AfD's electoral success to "horrible" immigration rules. The AfD's win in Saxony-Anhalt has positioned the party to potentially form the first far-right state government in Germany since World War II, holding 39 seats and falling just three short of an outright majority.
Dirk Wiese, chief whip in the Bundestag for the Social Democratic Party, had previously criticized Trump's comments as "not acceptable."