The centre-right CDU party leader sparked fierce criticism on Wednesday for accepting the far right's support in pushing a first bill through parliament. View on euronews

Without the migration policies since 2015, the AfD wouldn’t be anywhere near this strong,” says Vienna’s former conservative chancellor.

Friedrich Merz, head of the centre-right CDU, relied on support from AfD to pass parliamentary motion on migration.

Friedrich Merz, the front-runner to become Germany’s next chancellor, relied on votes from the far-right AfD to push an anti-migration motion through parliament.

Former chancellor’s intervention exposes deep rift within country’s conservatives over how to handle the far right’s rising influence.

Angela Merkel criticized her successor, Friedrich Merz, for collaborating with the far-right in passing an immigration bill. This decision led to significant backlash, including protest actions and criticism from Holocaust survivor Albrecht Weinberg.

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday criticized her centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) for passing a motion in parliament for hard-line reforms to migration policy with votes from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised Friedrich Merz, her successor as leader of the country's conservatives, on Thursday for pushing through a bill on tighter immigration control with the help of the far right.

Friedrich Merz and his Christian Democrats broke a political taboo by working with the hard-right Alternative for Germany to toughen rules on immigration. It did not pay off.

The centre-right CDU party leader sparked fierce backlash on Wednesday for accepting the far right's support in pushing a first bill through parliament. View on euronews

Opposition leader Friedrich Merz has put demands for a more restrictive approach to migration at the center of his campaign for the Feb. 23 election.