After calling for “large-scale deportations” of migrants, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has found himself at the center of a political storm. His remark that “anyone with daughters would agree with me” sparked accusations of sexism and of exploiting fear of migrants for electoral gain. Critics argue that Merz is trying to co-opt far-right rhetoric as his party loses ground amid the rise of the AfD and public anxiety over crime and economic stagnation.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faced a wave of criticism over his recent comments on immigration, which opponents labeled “dangerous.” The backlash followed his call for “mass deportations” of migrants from cities and his statement that “anyone with daughters would agree” with him.
Merz, who became chancellor in May after promising to curb the growing influence of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), responded sharply on Monday to a journalist who asked whether he planned to apologize for his earlier remarks. “I don’t know if you have children, and daughters among them. Ask them—I think you’ll get a very clear answer. I have nothing to apologize for. On the contrary, we must take action,” he said.
The left-wing opposition accused Merz of adopting the rhetoric of extremist movements that have made alleged sexual violence by migrants one of their key talking points. Green Party MP Ricarda Lang called the chancellor’s statement condescending and disconnected from women’s real concerns. “Perhaps ‘the daughters’ are tired of Friedrich Merz remembering their rights and safety only when he wants to justify his blatantly archaic views,” she wrote on X.
Merz insists that his main priority is “public safety,” arguing that only by ensuring it can traditional parties regain citizens’ trust. Last week, he was already criticized for remarks widely interpreted as implying that diversity itself had become a problem for German cities. “Of course, we still have this problem in the urban landscape. That is why the federal interior ministry is now working to carry out deportations on a very large scale,” he said during a visit to Brandenburg.
The CDU/CSU bloc, the alliance of Germany’s conservative parties led by Merz, won only 28.5% of the vote in the February elections, trailing the right-wing populist AfD, which achieved a record 20.8%. Since then, the far-right party has nearly caught up with the conservatives—and even surpassed them in some polls—amid growing voter concerns over migration, crime, and economic stagnation.
Merz rose to power promising a tougher stance on migration than Angela Merkel, rejecting her famous “We can do it” mantra after the 2015 crisis and partly blaming her for the AfD’s rise. His own rhetoric has often veered into populism: he once blamed “little pashas” for New Year’s Eve riots and claimed that refugees were taking dental appointments away from German citizens.
On Sunday and Monday, the CDU (Christian Democratic Union) held a meeting focused on strategy ahead of next year’s elections in five federal states. The AfD is firmly leading in two eastern regions, polling as high as 40%. Merz reiterated that his party maintains a “firewall”—a refusal to cooperate with the far right under any circumstances.
However, recent polls have alarmed parts of the party leadership. Some officials and advisers have suggested that this stance may prove unsustainable. In their view, as long as the 12-year-old AfD—classified by domestic intelligence as far-right—remains outside power, it only benefits from criticizing the political establishment, much as similar movements have done across other Western democracies.
Recent studies in Germany have shown that traditional parties, including the CDU, are increasingly allowing the far right to set the political agenda—inadvertently amplifying their ideas. Although Merz avoided using the word “firewall” on Monday, he reiterated that there are “fundamental differences” between his party and the AfD.
“We accept this challenge,” he said. “Now we will show clearly and openly what the AfD stands for—and draw a clear line between them and us. The main goal is to deliver results in governing the country.” According to him, this includes measures to pull the economy out of stagnation and to curb illegal migration without violating constitutional principles.
AfD co-chair Alice Weidel, who has called Donald Trump’s MAGA movement her political model and met with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, mocked Merz’s stance. “Merz and his operatives keep building walls. They fight against the AfD, while we fight for Germany,” she wrote on X.