AfD Files Complaint Against Merz over “Ethnic Cleansing”

The political conflict between the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is moving into the legal arena. The AfD parliamentary caucus has filed a criminal complaint against the chancellor for defamation and insult after Merz described the party's "remigration" concept as a form of "ethnic cleansing".

AfD representative Stephan Brandner said Merz crossed the line by linking the party to forced deportations and murders. The AfD claims that Merz's remarks harm not only its lawmakers but also, indirectly, millions of its voters.

The dispute comes shortly after the AfD's significant success in the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, where it won 43.8% of the vote, while the CDU finished second with 17.2%. However, the meaning of "remigration" itself remains disputed. The AfD presents it primarily as the systematic deportation of individuals without the right to reside in Germany, along with tighter immigration rules, while German counterintelligence interprets the concept much more broadly.

(epochtimes)