Merz cancels Trump call after AfD praise

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz cancelled a scheduled call with President Trump after Trump praised the AfD's state election win, while Merz accused the far-right party of promoting "ethnic cleansing" through its remigration campaign. Speaking in the Bundestag on Wednesday, Merz said the term "remigration" is a synonym for ethnic cleansing based on origin and skin colour, arguing mass deportations would gut Germany's economy by removing essential immigrant workers from care homes, hospitals, and restaurants. He faced jeering from AfD lawmakers during the speech. The AfD won nearly 44 percent of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, its strongest state result since the Nazi era. Merz's spokesperson declined to detail the cancellation but cited his general objection to outside interference in German elections, while Merz's own coalition has struggled with falling support over economic issues.