Germany: Merkel again criticizes Merz over vote with AfD

Germany's former Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeated her criticism of her party leader Friedrich Merz for relying on votes from the far-right AfD to pass a motion in parliament.

She didn't think it was right "to remain silent in such a crucial situation," Merkel said on Wednesday at an event hosted by Die Zeit newspaper. 

It was "a question of fundamental importance."

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the opposition CDU, used the backing of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to see a non-binding resolution on border policy passed in parliament last week.

The move sparked nationwide protests as Merz attracted criticism for breaking the post-Nazi norm — known as the "firewall" — of never passing any legislation with the support of far-right parties.

After the vote, Merkel accused Merz of breaking a pledge he made following the collapse of Germany's coalition government not to work with the AfD to pass legislation.

Merkel, who once led the CDU, said in the statement she thought it was "wrong" for Merz "to no longer feel bound by this proposal."

Using AfD backing shouldn't happen'

Asked on Wednesday about her criticism of Merz, Merkel said that "even under difficult conditions," working with the AfD to gain a majority shouldn't happen.

Since she stepped down in 2021 after more than 15 years as German chancellor, Merkel has rarely criticized CDU policies.

For his part, Merz, who is the CDU chancellor candidate in Germany's February election, rejected Merkel's criticism. 

He blamed the rise of the AfD on Merkel's open-door migration policies during the refugee crisis. In 2015, when she was chancellor, Merkel decided to allow more than a million asylum seekers into Germany, many of whom came from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. 

There is no love lost between the two CDU leaders. Merkel thwarted Merz's ambition to become the CDU's chancellor candidate 20 years ago after which Merz took a leave of absence from politics until Merkel stepped down.

Merkel rejects blame over AfD rise

Reflecting on this on Wednesday, Merkel blamed a migration policy dispute between the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, as playing into the AfD's hands at the time. 

"It wasn't right that we [the CDU and CSU] argued so much," said Merkel.

She rejects the accusation, however, that she took the wrong course on migration and this policy inadvertently led to a rise in AfD's popularity. 

"When I left office, the AfD was at 11%," Merkel said on Wednesday. "The fact that it is now [polling] at 20% is no longer my responsibility."

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar, Wesley Dockery