Merz accuses AfD of seeking 'ethnic cleansing' in Germany

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused the far-right AfD party of promoting "ethnic cleansing" during a Bundestag debate on Wednesday, following his conservative camp's heavy defeat in regional elections in eastern Germany. Merz said the term "remigration" is synonymous with ethnic cleansing based on origin and skin color, and argued that if workers were forced to leave Germany, sectors like crafts, care facilities, and restaurants could not function. The debate followed an aggressive speech by AfD co-leader Alice Weidel, who blamed mass immigration for rising crime and sexual offenses. The AfD won nearly 44% of votes in Sunday's Saxony-Anhalt regional election, far ahead of Merz's CDU at 17%. Merz downplayed the result, noting the AfD failed to secure a majority and that 56% of voters did not support them. He also accused the party of aiding Russian destabilization efforts, referencing a thwarted drone attack in Leipzig.