German opposition leader takes aim at migration

Germany’s conservative opposition leader said Tuesday that large-scale migration is one of the country’s biggest problems and the main reason for a recent surge in support for the far right.
But Friedrich Merz ruled out cooperating at the state or national level with the Alternative for Germany party that has overtaken his center-right Christian Democratic Union in polls for three state elections in the east next year – to the alarm of mainstream politicians. One senior security official, who is Jewish, told The Associated Press that he would leave the country if the far-right party, known by its German acronym AfD, comes to power in a state election.
“The refugee issue will remain the main topic in our society in the coming weeks and months, maybe even in the next years, and that’s why I’m so interested in finding a solution,” Merz said at a news conference with foreign reporters in Berlin.
“The sooner the problem is solved, the sooner this party (AfD) will get smaller again,” he said, claiming that much of its support comes from protest voters.