Germany has blocked a bill calling for tougher rules on migration after a close vote in the country’s parliament.
The legislation was put forward by the country’s opposition leader, Freidrich Merz, who has called for Germany to tighten migration controls after a series of high-profile killings by people with immigrant backgrounds.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his party, the Social Democrats, and the Greens – partners in his minority government – would vote against the proposal.
But the bill had the support of both Germany’s conservatives and the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD).
If the bill had made it through, it would have marked the first time in Germany’s post-war history that its parliament had passed legalisation thanks to far-right support.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his Social Democrats would vote against the proposal. Pic: Reuters
The bill called for Germany to turn back many more migrants at its borders and would have given police increased powers to carry out deportations.
Today’s decision comes after a non-binding motion on the matter passed thanks to the AfD on Wednesday.
Centre-left parties have accused opposition leader Mr Merz of breaking a political consensus to shun the AfD, which first entered parliament in 2017.
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Germany is due to hold a general election on 23 February, and the Christian Democratic Union, comprising the CDU and CSU, is polling at about 30%.
The AfD is second on around 20%, while the Social Democrats and Greens are on about 16% and 14% respectively.
Mr Scholz has suggested that Mr Merz can no longer be trusted not to form a government with the AfD – something Mr Merz has strongly denied.
Germany is in a third consecutive year of recession.
Europe’s largest economy shrank by 0.2% during 2024 – on top of a 0.3% contraction in 2023.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk recently made a surprise appearance at a far-right campaign event in Germany where he urged supporters to move beyond their “past guilt”.
