Scholz Slams Merz on Migration in Election Campaign Salvo
- Chancellor accuses opposition chief of chasing cheap headlines
- Merz likely to be conservative chancellor candidate next year
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz laid into Friedrich Merz during a fiery performance in parliament on Wednesday, accusing the conservative opposition leader of pursuing cheap headlines rather than helping to tackle the problems afflicting Europe’s biggest economy.
In a debate dominated by the issue of migration, Scholz launched what was effectively an early election campaign broadside against Merz, with just over a year to go until the next scheduled national vote. His unusually spirited attack came a day after conservative lawmakers walked out of talks with the government to discuss ways of getting irregular immigration more effectively under control.