Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed disapproval towards Friedrich Merz, the current leader of the country's conservatives, for passing a bill on tighter immigration control with the support of the far right. Merkel stated that she believed the outcome of the parliamentary vote, where a Christian Democrat motion was approved with backing from the nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD), was incorrect.
The move to collaborate with the AfD broke a longstanding political taboo in Germany, leading to backlash from various individuals. Holocaust survivor Albrecht Weinberg returned his Federal Order of Merit medal in protest, while Michel Friedman, a Jewish community leader and former member of the CDU's presidency, resigned from the party. Berlin mayor Kai Wegener also expressed dissatisfaction, emphasizing that he would not engage in cooperation with the far-right.
