Far-right vote on asylum rocks German parliament
2 days ago Jessica Parker & Damien McGuinness BBC News, Berlin
EPA AfD leaders were jubilant after the vote
Germany's parliament descended into heckles and recriminations on Wednesday after a "firewall" against working with the far-right cracked. A non-binding motion calling for tougher border and asylum rules passed with support from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). During the stormy session, politicians of various parties hurled criticism and blame at each other. Conservative CDU leader Friedrich Merz, who tabled the plans, defended his actions as "necessary". But Chancellor Olaf Scholz slammed the move as an "unforgivable mistake". Merz now plans to propose actual legislation on Friday – again with possible AfD backing – aimed at curbing immigration numbers and family reunion rights.
But his proposed measures are highly unlikely to come into effect this side of February's snap election and – if they did – could clash with EU law. Referring to the AfD's support for the motion, the CDU leader told the Bundestag that a policy wasn't wrong just because the "wrong people back it". "How many more children have to become victims of such acts of violence before you also believe there is a threat to public safety and order?" he asked. The CDU leader – tipped to be Germany's next chancellor because of his party's leading position in the polls – has also insisted he has neither sought nor wants AfD support. "Thinking about how the AfD fraction will cheer and their happy faces makes me feel uncomfortable," he told lawmakers. Chancellor Scholz – a social democrat whose coalition government collapsed last year – castigated Merz for his actions. "Since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany over 75 years ago, there has always been a clear consensus among all democrats in our parliaments: we do not make common cause with the far right." Germany's already fraught debate on immigration has flared up following a series of fatal attacks where the suspect is an asylum-seeker, most recently in the city of Aschaffenburg. It has become a central issue in campaigning for the election, triggered by the collapse of Scholz's governing coalition. Wednesday's CDU motion, supported by the AfD and liberal FDP, called for a "ban" on anyone entering Germany without the right documents – but it cannot compel the current minority government to act.
Duder57 on January 31st, 2025 at 16:30 UTC »
The law change this needed was just rejected by German Parliament.
PommesMayo on January 31st, 2025 at 12:23 UTC »
Let me explain this to all the non-Germans in here. The actual motion that passed is not really the thing that’s bad. From the genesis of the new formation of Germany after WWII we have had something called the Firewall. It’s basically the understanding that no party will ever work with any fascist or anti-democratic party full stop. It was understood that the ends never justify the means and that these parties will never be involved in any political decision EVER!
The last party that touted the fascist and anti-democratic the AfD is pushing now never was involved in any political dealings even when they had seats in the parliament. However this firewall has been breached successfully. It’s some of the “never again” things we as a nation swore to never ever do again because we know what it led to.
Especially because this was set in motion only a few days after we remembered the victims of the holocaust. It’s just all in very bad taste and gives the AfD the legitimacy that they do not deserve
H4llifax on January 31st, 2025 at 12:07 UTC »
What is this title, wasn't that a CDU initiative?