Merz clashes with AfD leader over migration in German parliament

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz clashed with AfD leader Alice Weidel in parliament, calling her party a "destructive force" and accusing its migration policy of amounting to "ethnic cleansing" for skilled workers. The confrontation followed the AfD's sweeping victory in Saxony-Anhalt, where it won nearly 44% of the vote. Merz argued that one in six skilled workers has a migration background, warning that the AfD's plans would cripple care homes, hospitals, and restaurants. Weidel countered that mass migration has fueled daily knife violence, while her party has promised a "deportation and remigration" offensive targeting irregular migrants. The AfD fell three seats short of an outright majority in Saxony-Anhalt and has opened talks with another party to govern. No far-right party has led a German state since World War Two, and US President Donald Trump praised the result, linking it to "horrible immigration rules."