“Ask your daughters.” Merz under fire after advocating large-scale deportations

Merz’s apparent approach to far-right rhetoric comes at a time when the AfD is tied in the polls with the CDU and is causing an internal division in the party.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is at the center of a political storm after defending statements calling for “large-scale” expulsions of migrants and linked their position to the safety of women and girls.

The comments raised criticism from across the political spectrumwith comparisons to the far right and warnings that Merz runs the risk of deepening social divisions and legitimizing extremist narratives.

Merz, who took office in May with a promise to win back voters who leaned towards the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), refused to apologize for his statements when confronted by a reporter on Monday. “Ask your daughters“, he retorted, suggesting that concerns about women’s safety justify his position. “I have nothing to take back; on the contrary, I emphasize: we need to change something”, he stressed.

Opposition figures quickly condemned the statements. Green Party MP Ricarda Lang accused Merz of exploiting women’s rights to promote retrograde policies, arguing that “perhaps the daughters are also fed up with Friedrich Merz only caring about their rights.” when it suits your schedule“.

Clemens Rostock, leader of the Greens in Brandenburg, warned that Merz’s comments risked fueling racial prejudice, saying it was “dangerous when parties in power try to label people as a problem based on your appearance or origin“.Natalie Pawlik of the Social Democrats, a minority partner in the coalition, urged that “migration should not be stigmatized with simplistic or populist reactions”.

Merz’s latest controversy follows his suggestion last week that Germany’s urban “diversity” was part of a problem justifying mass evictions. Chancellor’s comments sparked protests in several cities and they reignited the debate about the conservative strategy of the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU), who are fighting to contain the growing AfD, which recently matched them in national polls.

Once seen as a stabilizing conservative force, Merz has increasingly adopted populist tones in response to the rise of the AfD, distancing themselves from Angela Merkel’s legacy. His previous comments blaming asylum seekers for long dentist waiting lists and describing young delinquents as “little pashas” have already been criticized for echoing far-right speeches.

Despite ruling out any formal cooperation with the AfD, Merz faces growing dissent within his party, with some questioning whether the old “cordon sanitaire” against collaboration with extremists will be maintained.