German parliament passes election frontrunner's migration crackdown motion

Christian Democratic Party (CDU) party leader Friedrich Merz speaks at the German lower house of parliament Bundestag in Berlin

Christian Democratic Party (CDU) party leader Friedrich Merz speaks at the German lower house of parliament Bundestag, as members of the Alternative for Germany party (AfD) react in the background, after the attacks in Magdeburg and Aschaffenburg, in Berlin, Germany, January 29, 2025. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen

Source: REUTERS

German election frontrunner Friedrich Merz succeeded on Wednesday in getting a motion passed in parliament that calls for a migration crackdown including the rejection of asylum seekers at the country's land borders.

It is not yet clear who voted for the motion but Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats and the Greens had previously opposed it. As such it is likely it passed with the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany amid other smaller parties.

The motion is a risky gambit for Merz, chief of the opposition conservative CDU/CSU bloc, ahead of the election on Feb 23, allowing him to seize the initiative on migration policy but also leading to him breaking a taboo on cooperation with the far-right.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters