Summary

Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s center-right CDU/CSU alliance, is attempting to regain control of the migration debate by courting support from the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party.

This gambit has backfired, failing to attract AfD voters and instead sowing doubt among mainstream voters about Merz’s ability to govern effectively.

Many Germans fear that this political polarization could lead to a repeat of the Weimar era, where extremist parties gained power.