German MPs reject immigration bill of conservatives and far-right

BERLIN: German MPs on Friday narrowly voted against a bill to restrict immigration proposed by the opposition conservatives with the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

The CDU-CSU conservatives had on Wednesday passed a non-binding motion calling for an immigration crackdown, with backing by the AfD -- a move widely criticised for breaching a long-standing political “firewall” against extremists.

But Friday´s push to pass a full law failed with 338 votes in favour, 350 votes against and five lawmakers abstaining in the Bundestag, the German legislature. The result was greeted by a brief burst of applause from the ruling Social Democrats and Greens who were the biggest parties to oppose it.

The debate was delayed for hours to allow for last-ditch talks between the CDU-CSU and other moderate parties to find a compromise, but these failed and the vote went ahead as planned. AfD leader Alice Weidel told reporters that the result was a “bitter defeat” for CDU leader Friedrich Merz and showed his inability to push through measures restricting immigration.

On Wednesday the CDU provoked a backlash by pushing through a non-binding resolution on immigration with AfD votes, the first such majority formed in the Bundestag since the Second World War.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday raised the prospect of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) entering government this year after it aligned with the main opposition CDU in parliament.

Scholz, speaking to Zeit Online, said parliamentary manoeuvres this week had left conservative CDU leader Friedrich Merz “open to the accusation that he is untrustworthy”. In what was condemned by other parties as the breach of a long-standing taboo, a CDU resolution on tightening immigration rules was passed by lawmakers on Wednesday with the help of AfD votes.

Scholz pointed to poll frontrunner Merz´s past commitments to shun the far right and argued this put in question his pledge to never form a coalition with the AfD. He cited the case of Austria, where the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) came first in an election last autumn for the first time and is now on the brink of leading a government with the conservative People´s Party (OeVP).

“Even the OeVP had said: ´No FPOe-led government, no coalition with them´,” Scholz said, adding: “Now there may indeed be a coalition with them and even an FPOe chancellor.” In what may be a foretaste of a new campaign attack line, Scholz raised the possibility of the CDU conducting “pro-forma” talks with other parties after February 23 elections before eventually turning to the AfD.