Merz says AfD cannot win absolute majority support in Germany

BERLIN, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) cannot win an absolute majority in the country with its current policies, despite its strong showing in the recent Saxony-Anhalt state election.

Speaking in the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany's parliament, Merz said the election had sent a "clear message" to the federal government and to himself, but stressed that the AfD had failed to secure an absolute majority and would not be able to do so "anywhere in Germany" with its current policies.

He called the AfD "a destructive force" and said the ruling coalition differed remarkably from the party on foreign, European, social and peace policies. Merz also said Germany would continue to support Ukraine.

He sharply criticized the AfD's "remigration" policy, calling the term "a synonym for ethnic cleansing based on origin and skin color." He said Germany still needs foreign workers in sectors including skilled trades, nursing and healthcare.

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel, also speaking in the Bundestag debate, said the current coalition had "come to an end." She added that voters in Saxony-Anhalt had made clear they wanted political change rather than a continuation of the status quo.

The AfD won 43.8 percent of the vote and 39 seats in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, three seats short of an absolute majority. Other major parties have ruled out a coalition with the AfD, leaving the formation of the next state government difficult and uncertain. Enditem