Summary

Germany’s parliament erupted in controversy after the far-right AfD backed a CDU-led motion for stricter asylum policies, breaking a long-standing “firewall” against cooperation with extremists.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz defended the move, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned it as an “unforgivable mistake.”

The AfD, polling second nationally, celebrated the vote as a victory.

Merz’s stance signals a shift from Angela Merkel’s centrist policies, sparking concerns that mainstream conservatives are normalizing far-right influence ahead of Germany’s upcoming snap election.