Tens of thousands gathered in Berlin on Sunday to protest the conservative Christian Democratic Union's (CDU) increasing cooperation with the far-right. Police reported at least 20,000 demonstrators had gathered by 3:45 pm (14:45 GMT) outside the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, with the number expected to grow as protesters continued to arrive from various directions, reads a Barron's post.
The demonstration was sparked by CDU chief Friedrich Merz’s recent overtures to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), seeking their support for anti-immigration legislation ahead of the February 23 federal election. The move marked a break from Germany's post-WWII consensus of avoiding ties with far-right parties. The CDU and AfD's collaboration led to the passage of a non-binding resolution to limit undocumented immigration, though a subsequent bill failed.
In response, protests also took place in other cities across Germany, with over 220,000 people joining marches in places like Hamburg, Leipzig, and Cologne. Left-wing organizations like Campact joined civil society groups, unions, and churches in condemning the coalition's stance. Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed concerns that this growing far-right alignment could lead to a shift in Germany’s political landscape.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
