German conservatives form an alliance with right-wing on migration issues
CDU leader Friedrich Merz has announced that he will no longer uphold his party's longstanding opposition to voting alongside the AfD. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The CDU and AfD are set to collaborate on immigration restrictions, as both parties have confirmed.
Germany's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has announced plans to implement strict immigration laws, even if it requires the backing of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) for passage. This collaboration marks a significant change, as it represents the first instance of a mainstream German party choosing to work alongside the AfD.
In a letter to party members obtained by PMG on Friday, the CDU leadership indicated that its lawmakers would push for tough immigration measures even “if only the AfD supports our proposals.”
“We will introduce motions in the German Bundestag [Parliament] that are exclusively in line with our convictions,” said CDU leader Friedrich Merz in a statement to the German news agency DPA later on Friday. “And we will introduce them regardless of who agrees with them.”
Since the AfD's inception in 2013, mainstream parties in Germany have maintained a “firewall” policy, refusing to engage in coalition talks with the party and avoiding legislation that could only succeed with their assistance.
However, public opinion on immigration has shifted since former CDU leader and Chancellor Angela Merkel opened Germany’s borders to over a million migrants in 2015, leading to the AfD becoming the second-most-popular party in the country. As the general election approaches next month, the AfD is polling at 20%, trailing behind the CDU at 30% and surpassing Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, which stand at 17%, according to PMG.
Merz is anticipated to take over the chancellorship following the election. A recent poll indicates that immigration is the primary concern among voters. In the wake of an incident where an Afghan man allegedly stabbed a two-year-old child to death at a Bavarian school earlier this week, AfD leader Alice Weidel reached out to Merz, offering support for any immigration restrictions outlined by his party.
”The firewall has fallen!” Weidel proclaimed on X on Friday. “The CDU and CSU have accepted my offer to vote together with the AfD in the Bundestag on the crucial issue of migration. This is good news for our country!” she added, in reference to the CDU’s Bavarian counterpart.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
Germany's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has announced plans to implement strict immigration laws, even if it requires the backing of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) for passage. This collaboration marks a significant change, as it represents the first instance of a mainstream German party choosing to work alongside the AfD.
In a letter to party members obtained by PMG on Friday, the CDU leadership indicated that its lawmakers would push for tough immigration measures even “if only the AfD supports our proposals.”
“We will introduce motions in the German Bundestag [Parliament] that are exclusively in line with our convictions,” said CDU leader Friedrich Merz in a statement to the German news agency DPA later on Friday. “And we will introduce them regardless of who agrees with them.”
Since the AfD's inception in 2013, mainstream parties in Germany have maintained a “firewall” policy, refusing to engage in coalition talks with the party and avoiding legislation that could only succeed with their assistance.
However, public opinion on immigration has shifted since former CDU leader and Chancellor Angela Merkel opened Germany’s borders to over a million migrants in 2015, leading to the AfD becoming the second-most-popular party in the country. As the general election approaches next month, the AfD is polling at 20%, trailing behind the CDU at 30% and surpassing Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, which stand at 17%, according to PMG.
Merz is anticipated to take over the chancellorship following the election. A recent poll indicates that immigration is the primary concern among voters. In the wake of an incident where an Afghan man allegedly stabbed a two-year-old child to death at a Bavarian school earlier this week, AfD leader Alice Weidel reached out to Merz, offering support for any immigration restrictions outlined by his party.
”The firewall has fallen!” Weidel proclaimed on X on Friday. “The CDU and CSU have accepted my offer to vote together with the AfD in the Bundestag on the crucial issue of migration. This is good news for our country!” she added, in reference to the CDU’s Bavarian counterpart.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
