Merz accuses AfD of advocating ethnic cleansing

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has accused the far-right party AfD of advocating ethnic cleansing, equating its demands for mass deportations and "remigration" with discrimination based on origin and skin color. During a heated Bundestag debate on Wednesday, Merz stated that "remigration" is nothing but a synonym for ethnic cleansing, prompting protests and boos from AfD lawmakers. Party leader Alice Weidel countered by accusing Merz's government of making Germany "unsafe." The AfD won nearly 44 percent of votes in Sunday's state election in Saxony-Anhalt but missed an outright majority and is expected to negotiate with other parties to form a government. Merz's CDU received 17.2 percent of the vote.