The AfD's demands for mass deportations and "remigration" are tantamount to ethnic cleansing based on origin and skin color, Merz claims during a heated debate in the Bundestag on Wednesday.
The word "remigration" is nothing more than a synonym for ethnic cleansing, he says, accusing the AfD of wanting to throw out people with different skin colors and origins.
The move is met with protests and boos from AfD members of parliament. From the podium, party leader Alice Weidel in turn accuses Merz's government of making Germany "unsafe."
The AfD (Alternative for Germany) received almost 44 percent in Sunday's election in Saxony-Anhalt, but fell short of an outright majority and is expected to try to negotiate with other parties to form a government in the state.
Merz's CDU party received 17.2 percent of the vote.
