As Germany enters the final few weeks of its election campaign, the man poised to be the next chancellor has doubled down on tightening the country\u2019s immigration policy \u2014 shifting the nation to the right. <\/p>\n
Merz and the Union party, comprised of the CDU and their Bavarian sister party the CSU, lead the polls with 30% of the vote. <\/p>\n
Last week, Merz, a former investment banker at BlackRock with a pilot\u2019s license, also made migration the focus of his campaign. The German lawmaker brought forward two pieces of legislation severely curbing migration. While the non-binding bill passed by a small majority, the binding \u201cInflux Limitation Act\u201d failed. Ahead of that Friday vote Merz told fellow parliamentarians, \u201cthe door to hell, we can still close together\u201d. <\/p>\n
Notably, among those who voted against the bill, were members of Merz\u2019s own party. <\/p>\n
Germany has seen a spate of recent attacks perpetrated by migrants that has catapulted the issue to the center of the election campaign. <\/p>\n
In January an attack in Aschaffenburg left two people dead, including a two-year old boy. The attacker was an Afghan migrant. Just before Christmas six people were killed in Magdeburg after a Saudi-origin migrant drove a car through a Christmas market. <\/p>\n
Merz dismissed his party\u2019s role in the bill\u2019s failure. Instead, he looked to deflect the blame on to the ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD), headed by current chancellor Olaf Scholz. <\/p>\n
But that does not tell the whole story of a tumultuous week for Merz. <\/p>\n
There is an unwritten agreement between Germany\u2019s largest parties that they would never seek the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to pass laws or legislation \u2013 it\u2019s known as the firewall. Working with the far-right is a taboo in German politics. <\/p>\n
Last week Merz made it clear that he did not mind if the AfD voted for his proposals on curbing migration. The far-right party voted on both pieces of legislation Merz proposed, helping push the non-binding bill over the line, a risky gambit that prompted hundreds of thousands of protesters onto the streets. <\/p>\n
On the issue of Elon Musk, who has become a feature of this election cycle, Merz said \u201cI don\u2019t appreciate what he is doing, but he is doing something which he is free to do\u201d. Musk has been controversially inserting himself into the German election campaign in favor of the AfD. <\/p>\n
Taking note of US President Donald Trump\u2019s economic measures against some of the US\u2019s closest allies, Merz was clear that any tariffs placed on the European Union would be handled at \u201cthe European level\u201d. <\/p>\n
The United States is the European Union second largest trading partner, according to US trade data. On Sunday President Trump called the European Union an \u201catrocity\u201d that would also be facing tariffs, saying the bloc was \u201ctaking advantage\u201d of the United States. <\/p>\n
On the issue of ending the war, something which President Trump vowed to do within 24 hours after he assumed office, Merz said it would be best to cooperate with the US. <\/p>\n
He was eager however, to hear the plans from the horse\u2019s mouth: \u201cwe do not yet know what they are really planning to do. I would like to see what they are planning to do\u201d. <\/p>\n
Crucially for Merz, he may not have to wait much longer. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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