Conservative frontrunner, Friedrich Merz, had declared his willingness to pass a migration law with AfD support, weakening Germany’s far-right “firewall.”

Germany’s likely next chancellor wants tougher migration measures even with AfD support, triggering a fierce pre-election debate.

The CDU party chief, who leads in the polls to become the next chancellor, said he would collect votes from all parties to push his five-point migration plan through parliament despite Chancellor Olaf Scholz's strong opposition.

The conservative CDU/CSU party is hardening its stance on irregular immigration. Others in Europe have already paved the way.

Friedrich Merz, hitherto favourite to become Germany's next chancellor, suffered a blow three weeks before a national election on Friday when 12 of his own legislators refused to support him in backing a migration bill that thereby failed to pass in parliament.

Germany's conservative election frontrunner Friedrich Merz defiantly vowed Friday to pass a bill to restrict immigration with the support of the far-right AfD, repeating a tactic that has sparked an

Though German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meant his comparison of CDU leader Friedrich Merz to Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán as an insult, "experience suggests it is actually a compliment", Zoltán Kovács said on Facebook.

Friedrich Merz, the conservative frontrunner to replace Chancellor Olaf Scholz after Germany's upcoming elections, is calling on the European Union to present a united front in response to US President-elect Donald Trump.

Social Democrat Scholz warns that Merz's proposal for permanent border controls would violate EU law, damage the economy, and threaten stability - Anadolu Ajansı

Germany's conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz, frontrunner in polls to become ... he would seek strong ties with Germany's traditional core EU partner France but also with Poland and ...

Context: Brussels is “reviewing” its probes into tech groups including Apple, Meta and Google, launched under its landmark digital markets rules. Trump said he considered fines imposed by the EU on US tech companies operating there as a “form of taxation”, and has vowed to retaliate.

Germany's conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz, frontrunner in polls to become the next chancellor ... he would seek strong ties with Germany's traditional core EU partner France but also with Poland and Italy, led by far-right premier Giorgia ...