Merz and Weidel clash in Bundestag over AfD's rise and coalition's future

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and AfD co-leader Alice Weidel clashed in the Bundestag on Wednesday, with Weidel declaring the ruling coalition finished after her party's state election win and Merz branding the AfD a destructive force. Weidel said voters in Saxony-Anhalt had clearly rejected the CDU-SPD coalition, accusing Merz of unprecedented borrowing and leading Germany toward national bankruptcy. Merz acknowledged the AfD's significant result but noted it failed to secure an absolute majority. Merz accused the AfD of undermining democratic institutions and pursuing "remigration" policies he called ethnic cleansing. He also alleged Russia planned a drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport, warning the AfD's Russia-friendly stance harms German interests.