Former German leader Angela Merkel has reiterated her criticism of chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz after he relied on votes from the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) to pass a motion in parliament last week.
Merkel, who once led Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), had released a statement in the aftermath of the vote saying that Merz’s previous pledge not to work with the AfD was a “great national political responsibility.”
She defended this public stance on Wednesday night as Germany heads toward an election later in February.
“I thought it was right not to remain silent in such a decisive situation,” Merkel said at an event hosted by Die Zeit newspaper.
She added: “I don’t get involved in normal political debates, but I found this to be a question of fundamental importance.”
Merkel rejects blame over AfD rise
Merkel also said that the AfD benefited politically from the dispute over migration policy between her CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, during her time as chancellor.
However, she rejected accusations that her migration policy was politically “misguided.”
“When I left office, the AfD was at 11%,” Merkel said.
“The fact that it is now at 20% is no longer my responsibility.”
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar
