German Chancellor Skeptical AfD Ban Would Solve Problem

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday he remains skeptical that a bid to ban the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party would succeed, stating such proceedings are unlikely to resolve the issue. Merz told reporters in Berlin that political confrontation, not a ban, is the priority for dealing with the AfD, which won Sunday's state election in Saxony-Anhalt with more than double the CDU's vote share. He accused the party of endangering Germany's prosperity through hostility toward the EU. In a parliamentary debate, Merz charged the AfD with seeking "ethnic cleansing" in Germany and said it would never gain a governing majority. AfD co-leader Alice Weidel dismissed the CDU as "pulverized" in the election and urged the chancellor to step back.