German lawmakers have rejected a contentious immigration bill, but the chancellor hopeful Friedrich Merz remains defiant. The ‘Influx Limitation Law’ aimed to tighten rules on migration in Germany, but it was voted down by 349 lawmakers.
The German Bundestag has voted against the ‘Influx Limitation Law,’ a contentious immigration bill proposed by the conservative CDU/CSU bloc. The legislation aimed to tighten rules on migration in Germany, but it was rejected by 349 lawmakers, with 338 in favor and five abstaining.
Merz said he was ‘very much strengthened’ by the support of his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) despite the parliament voting against his migration reform. He argued that the German electorate now realizes the CDU is serious about changing asylum and immigration policy, and that as of today, it is clear: Merz will do this.
Friedrich Merz is a German politician and lawyer who has been a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since 1973.
Born on November 11, 1955, in Plettenberg, Germany, he served as the Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group from 2000 to 2004.
Merz was also a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2004 and has been a member of the Bundestag since 2018.
The leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), Alice Weidel, slammed the CDU/CSU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz after the migration reform bill was rejected by the Bundestag. She described the rejection as the ‘implosion of a conservative people’s party’ and said it marked the ‘dismantling of Friedrich Merz as a candidate for chancellor.’
Alice Weidel is a German politician who has been serving as co-leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party since 2017.
Born on May 22, 1979, in Freiburg, Germany, she studied economics and business administration at the University of Freiburg.
Weidel entered politics in 2013 and quickly rose through the ranks of the AfD.
She has been a member of the German Bundestag since 2017 and has been involved in various controversies throughout her career.
Rolf Mützenich, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), implored the conservative CDU/CSU opposition bloc not to rely on the votes of the far-right AfD to pass a divisive anti-migration bill. He warned that if they do, ‘the fall from grace will be with you forever’ and that Germany must ‘return to the center of democracy.’
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock appealed to the conservative CDU/CSU bloc candidate Friedrich Merz to reverse course on collaboration with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). She said that voting with the AfD was wrong and that Wednesday’s breach of taboo had been a ‘day of shame.’
Annalena Baerbock is a German politician who has been serving as the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs since December 2021.
Born on September 19, 1980, in Potsdam, East Germany, she joined the Alliance '90/The Greens party at a young age and quickly rose through its ranks.
Baerbock served as the co-leader of the party from 2018 to 2022 and has been a member of the Bundestag since 2013.
She is known for her strong stance on climate change, human rights, and European integration.
Friedrich Merz, leader of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), reiterated that he would never shake hands with the far-right AfD party. He emphasized the importance of the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens agreeing to the bill to form a larger majority.
Germany’s main political parties have long had a consensus that cooperation with far-right parties is taboo, often described as a ‘firewall.’ However, this consensus seemed to have been undermined on Wednesday when a motion on migration policy put forward by the conservative CDU/CSU bloc was approved by the Bundestag with the support of the far-right AfD.
