メルケル氏、移民厳格化決議で極右に頼ったメルツ氏を非難 独

【ベルリンＡＦＰ＝時事】ドイツのアンゲラ・メルケル前首相は３０日、自らが所属する中道右派政党「キリスト教民主同盟（ＣＤＵ）」のフリードリヒ・メルツ党首が２月２３日に実施される総選挙の争点となっている移民問題で極右に頼ったと非難した。（写真はドイツのアンゲラ・メルケル前首相）
　メルツ氏は２９日、連邦議会（下院）で、政府に移民の全面的な制限を求める決議案を極右政党「ドイツのための選択肢（ＡｆＤ）」の支持を得て可決させた。
　中道左派政党「社会民主党（ＳＰＤ）」所属のオラフ・ショルツ首相と連立政権に加わっている緑の党は決議案の可決について、極右政党とのいかなる協力も禁じるという戦後ドイツのタブーを破る行為だと非難した。
　ニュースサイト「シュピーゲル」は、「この日は選挙戦だけでなく、ドイツ政治全体を変える日になるだろう」と評価した。
　また中には、メルツ氏の策略がＡｆＤの正当性を高め、さらなる協力への道を開くと警告する声も上がった。域内一部で見られる流れを反映し、いずれは政府内での協力につながる可能性もある。
　こうした声に対しメルツ氏は、原則よりも実利を優先させるべきだと主張。さらに、先週のアフガニスタン人の男が幼稚園児らを刃物で襲撃した事件など、難民認定希望者による凶悪事件が相次いでいることを受けて、市民が不安を抱いていると指摘した。
　メルツ氏もＡｆＤには反対しているが「間違った人々が同意したからといって、正しい決定が間違ったものになるわけではない」と訴えた。
　自身の政権下で１００万人以上の難民認定希望者を受け入れたメルケル氏は、２０２１年に退任し、以降、政治へのコメントを一切避けてきたが、この度のメルツ氏の策略に対しては「間違っている」と声を上げた。これは事実上、ショルツ氏と緑の党の側に付く発言と言える。
　メルケル氏は、将来このような恐ろしい攻撃を防ごうとする民主主義政党は、「誠実かつ穏健に、適用される欧州法に基づいて」協力しなければならないと主張した。
　一方、ＣＤＵのカーステン・リンネマン幹事長はメルツ氏を擁護。「われわれはアンゲラ・メルケル氏を高く評価しており、彼女の移民政策の評価も知っている」と前置きした上で、「きょう責任を負っている人々は、現在の治安状況と恐ろしい出来事に対処しなければならない」と述べ、昨年のクリスマスに発生した車突入事件にも言及した。
　■連立のパートナー
　ドイツでは２月２３日の総選挙に向けて選挙戦が激化している。
　世論調査の政党支持率では、メルツ氏のＣＤＵと姉妹政党の「キリスト教社会同盟（ＣＳＵ）」による統一会派「キリスト教民主・社会同盟（ＣＤＵ／ＣＳＵ）」が約３０％で首位。ＡｆＤは約２０％で２位につけている。ショルツ首相のＳＰＤは約１５％。
　世論調査によると、ＣＤＵ／ＣＳＵが勝利した場合、主な連立パートナーとしてＳＰＤや緑の党を検討する可能性があるが、現時点では両党との関係はさらに悪化している。
　シュピーゲルは、メルツ氏が妥協を許さない姿勢を貫けば、「残された唯一の連立パートナーはＡｆＤになるだろう。だがメルツ氏自身はそれ（ＡｆＤとの連立）を望まないだろう」との見方を示した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2025/01/31-20:39）

Germany's ex-chancellor Angela Merkel weighed in Thursday on a controversy flaring ahead of February elections, slamming her party successor for relying on far-right support on the flashpoint issue of immigration.
Conservative CDU leader Friedrich Merz sparked outrage Wednesday when he pushed through parliament a resolution demanding sweeping curbs to immigration, relying for the first time on votes from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Centre-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his allies the Greens denounced the vote as a breach of a taboo in post-war Germany against any cooperation with extremist parties.
News site Der Spiegel judged that this day will not only change the election campaign but German politics as a whole.
Critics warned that Merz's manoeuvre would help legitimise the AfD and pave the way for more cooperation -- perhaps even in a government one day, mirroring developments elsewhere in Europe.
Merz argued that pragmatism must trump principle, and pointed to public fears after a series of deadly attacks blamed on asylum seekers, including a knife attack last week on a kindergarten group where the suspect is an Afghan man.
Even though Merz also opposes the AfD, he said that a right decision doesn't become wrong just because the wrong people agree to it.
Merkel, the elder stateswoman of the CDU under whose government more than a million asylum seekers entered the country, begged to differ.
After avoiding any comment on day-to-day politics since leaving office in 2021, she slammed Merz's tactical manoeuvre as wrong -- in effect siding with the stance of Scholz and the Greens.
- Taboo breached -
She said democratic parties seeking to prevent such terrible attacks in the future must work together honestly, moderately in tone and on the basis of applicable European law.
CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann defended Merz, telling the Rheinische Post newspaper that we value Angela Merkel and know her assessment of migration policy.
But he added that those who carry responsibility today must react to the current security situation and the terrible events, also mentioning a deadly car-ramming at a Christmas market in December.
Veteran Merkel's criticism of long-time party rival Merz for breaching the parliamentary taboo comes as the campaign heats up towards February 23 elections.
The CDU-CSU bloc of Merz is in the lead, polling at around 30 percent, followed by the AfD at 20 percent and then Scholz's SPD at around 15 percent.
The AfD has gained support by voicing fears about a migrant influx and a series of attacks that also included deadly stabbings last year where a Syrian and an Afghan man were arrested.
Merz has criticised Merkel's migration policy and pledged an about-turn, vowing permanent policing on all borders and the rejection of all migrants trying to enter Germany through irregular channels.
Another parliament vote looms Friday, when the CDU will present a bill to restrict asylum rights and boost border police powers, and where it will also seek backing by the AfD and the smaller FDP and BSW parties.
- Battle lines drawn -
It remains to be seen if Merz's gamble will end up benefiting him, or the AfD.
The AfD and its allies cheered the outcome of Wednesday's vote, with Hungary's right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban writing on X: Guten Morgen, Deutschland! Welcome to the club!
Der Spiegel argued Merz's justification may sound plausible at first glance but added that he and his party must have quickly realised that the price was too high as they watched AfD politicians cheer the outcome.
Ursula Muench, director of the Academy for Political Education, said that Merz intended to signal to CDU voters worried about immigration that they do not have to vote for the AfD.
Bild newspaper argued that Merz took a huge risk and weathered insults from all sides but drew clear battle lines and brought clarity, which it labelled gold for democracy.
FDP chief Christian Lindner said Merkel's statements showed Merz was dividing his party, but that, ironically, Mrs Merkel bears great responsibility for the rise of the AfD with her refugee policy.
The controversy has raised the temperature in the bitter election race and looks set to further complicate the inevitable coalition building talks after the vote.
Opinion polls suggest a victorious CDU-CSU could look to either the SPD or the Greens as their main junior coalition partner, but for now those relations have been poisoned further.
Der Spiegel said that if Merz stuck to his uncompromising course the only coalition partner he would have left would be the AfD. He himself cannot want that.
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