In the Bundestag, Scholz and Merz engage in a heated argument – disagreement concerning asylum policy.
The CDU/CSU representatives ended negotiations with the federal government the day prior, deciding the government's migration restriction plans were not stringent enough. Scholz called out the CDU head in a subsequent parliamentary debate on Wednesday, labeling their tactics as mere "posturing" and lacking genuine intent to tackle the migration issue. "You've been hiding out. That's not exactly good for Germany," Scholz remarked.
Merz defended the termination of negotiations, stating the government's proposals fell "far short of the mark" - essentially requiring solid border rejections to curb migration. Scholz should have pushed the coalition for additional concessions, Merz pointed out. Merz made it clear they were unwilling to get stuck in an endless round of discussions with the government.
The altercation between Merz and Scholz turned quite personal in the German parliament, with the rhetoric sometimes growing heated. Merz dismissed Scholz's accusations of deliberately aiming for failure in the migration talks as "preposterous."
Scholz took issue with Merz's political credibility. "You're the kind of politician who thinks giving an interview to 'Bild am Sonntag' solves the migration issue," Scholz quipped. "As soon as you leave the editorial offices, you seem to forget what you just proposed because you never had any intention of following through."
Other coalition representatives also criticized the opposition's stance. The Green Party faction leader, Katharina Dröge, accused Merz of exploiting people's fears for political gain. SPD faction leader Rolf Mützenich condemned the breakdown in migration talks, stating, "By leaving yesterday, you've betrayed democracy."
FDP faction leader Christian Dürr advocated for cooperation between various government levels and parties on migration: "Only genuine action will produce tangible results in the country."
Scholz announced in the German parliament that his government would now implement the new migration restriction proposal, which the Union rejected the day before, independently. The proposal essentially proposes a quick asylum process near the borders, including the possibility of detaining asylum seekers pending the eventual rejection of their applications.
His government, he said, was determined to "take control of irregular migration." However, the government will need approval from Union-led states in the Bundesrat to implement the new proposals.
AFD leader Alice Weidel blamed the "traffic light" coalition, as well as the previous CDU-led government, for dividing society with a migration-friendly policy. "You have all contributed to the failure of migration policy for years and even decades," she stated.
The debate's official purpose was a discussion on the Chancellor's Office budget. Typically, this offers an opportunity for a general exchange of views on the federal government's performance record. The opposition's appraisal of the "traffic light" coalition was harsh.
"'Advanced' among them is only the erosion of the welfare state and public infrastructure," stated the Chair of the Left group, Heidi Reichinnek. "No one wants to see the continuation of the traffic light coalition," said CSU parliamentary group leader Alexander Dobrindt. BSW chairwoman Sahra Wagenknecht accused the coalition of strengthening the far right: "Traffic light" politics is "driving people to despair of democracy to the point where now even Björn Höcke appears less dangerous."
The opposition's criticism of the government's migration policies did not stop at Merz, as SPD faction leader Rolf Mützenich also condemned the breakdown in talks, claiming, "By leaving yesterday, you've betrayed democracy." Furthermore, The Commission, representing the government, will need approval from Union-led states in the Bundesrat to implement their new migration restriction proposals.
