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Critics have accused the German head of government, Friedrich Merz, of using so-called “dangerous” rhetoric on immigration, after he called for “extensive” removals of people from urban areas – and asserted that those who have daughters would support his position.

Defiant Stance

Friedrich Merz, who became chancellor in May promising to combat the surge of the right-wing Alternative für Deutschland party, recently reprimanded a journalist who questioned whether he wanted to retract his strict remarks on immigration from the previous week in light of widespread criticism, or apologise for them.

“It is unclear if you have kids, and female children among them,” Merz said to the correspondent. “Consult your girls, I believe you’ll get a very direct response. There is nothing to withdraw; to the contrary I stress: we must change certain things.”

Political Reaction

Progressive critics accused Merz of borrowing tactics from radical groups, whose assertions that women and girls are being targeted by immigrants with abuse has become a global far-right rallying cry.

Green party politician Ricarda Lang, criticized the chancellor of delivering a condescending statement for female youth that overlooked their actual political concerns.

“Maybe ‘the daughters’ are also displeased with Merz showing concern about their rights and security when he can employ them to support his completely backward-looking approaches?” she posted on X.

Security Focus

The chancellor declared his main focus was “safety in public areas” and emphasized that only when it could be ensured “would the established parties win back trust”.

He faced criticism recently for remarks that critics said hinted that multiculturalism itself was a problem in the nation’s metropolitan areas: “Certainly we continue to have this challenge in the urban landscape, and for this reason the home affairs minister is now working to allow and carry out removals on a very large scale,” commented during a visit to the state of Brandenburg adjacent to Berlin.

Racial Prejudice Concerns

Green politician Clemens Rostock accused Merz of stoking discriminatory attitudes with his remark, which provoked minor protests in several German cities at the weekend.

“It’s dangerous when governing parties seek to characterize persons as a problem according to their appearance or background,” Rostock said.

Natalie Pawlik of the SPD, junior partners in the current administration, commented: “Immigration should not be branded with reductive or populist kneejerk reactions – this divides the public even further and ultimately assists the incorrect individuals as opposed to promoting solutions.”

Party Dynamics

The chancellor’s party coalition turned in a unsatisfactory 28.5 percent performance in the national election in February versus the anti-foreigner, anti-Muslim Alternative für Deutschland with its historic 20.8 percent.

Since then, the far right party has caught up with the conservative bloc, even overtaking it in certain surveys, in the context of public concerns around immigration, lawlessness and financial downturn.

Previous Positions

Friedrich Merz ascended to leadership of his party pledging a firmer stance on immigration than previous leader the former head of government, rejecting her “we can do it” motto from the asylum seeker situation a previous decade and attributing to her some responsibility for the AfD’s strength.

He has fostered an at times heightened demagogic language than Merkel, notoriously attributing fault to “young pashas” for repeated vandalism on December 31st and migrants for taking oral health consultations at the detriment of local residents.

Electoral Preparations

The CDU gathered on Sunday and Monday to hash out a plan ahead of five state elections in the coming year. Alternative für Deutschland maintains significant advantages in multiple eastern areas, nearing a historic 40 percent approval.

The chancellor maintained that his party was aligned in barring cooperation in government with the AfD, a policy typically called as the “barrier”.

Party Concerns

However, the current opinion research has spooked certain CDU members, causing a few of political figures and consultants to propose in recent weeks that the firewall could be impractical and counterproductive in the long run.

The dissenters maintain that provided that the relatively new far-right party, which internal security services have designated as far-right, is able to criticize without responsibility without having to make the difficult decisions administration necessitates, it will gain from the ruling party challenge plaguing many democratic nations.

Academic Analysis

Academics in the country have determined that conventional organizations such as the CDU were increasingly allowing the extremist to determine priorities, unintentionally validating their proposals and circulating them to a greater extent.

Even though Friedrich Merz avoided using the phrase “protection” on Monday, he asserted there were “essential disagreements” with the AfD which would make partnership unfeasible.

“We acknowledge this difficulty,” he stated. “Going forward further make it very clear and unequivocally the AfD’s positions. We will distance ourselves very clearly and unequivocally from them. {Above all