Merz accuses AfD of ethnic cleansing after Saxony-Anhalt election win

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has accused the far-right AfD party of advocating ethnic cleansing, equating its demands for mass deportations and "remigration" with targeting people based on origin and skin color. The statement came during a heated parliamentary debate on Wednesday. Merz said the term "remigration" is nothing but a synonym for ethnic cleansing, prompting protests and boos from AfD lawmakers. Party leader Alice Weidel countered from the podium, accusing Merz's government of making Germany "unsafe." The AfD won nearly 44 percent of the vote in Sunday's state election in Saxony-Anhalt but fell short of a majority and is expected to negotiate with other parties to form a government. Merz's CDU received 17.2 percent.