A day of drama in the Bundestag
Friedrich Merz, Germany’s probable next chancellor, takes a huge bet and triggers uproar
RARELY HAS the Bundestag known such drama. On January 29th, to scenes of uproar, a tiny majority of German mps backed a five-point plan to curb irregular immigration. The non-binding motion was introduced by Friedrich Merz, head of the centre-right Christian Democrats (cdu) and the favourite to take over as chancellor after the election on February 23rd. Among other matters, it proposed permanent controls on Germany’s borders and a “de facto entry ban”: the rejection of any immigrants lacking papers, including asylum-seekers.
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