In the Bundestag, Olaf Scholz and Friedrich Merz engaged in a heated debate over asylum policy. Merz criticized the government's plans as insufficient, while Scholz accused him of theatrics.
Other parties also expressed criticism. Scholz announced government proposals to limit migration without the Union's support, including fast-track asylum procedures and the detention of refugees near the border.
The implementation of these proposals will require the consent of Union-led states. AfD leader Alice Weidel accused the traffic light coalition and the previous government of dividing society.
The Left Group criticized the decline of the welfare state and public infrastructure. CSU parliamentary group leader Alexander Dobrindt said that no one wants a continuation of the traffic light coalition.
Sahra Wagenknecht accused the coalition of strengthening the right-wing fringe. The debate in the Bundestag was officially about the budget of the Chancellor's Office but turned into a general exchange about the government's performance.
Despite being the budget week, the focus of the debate was on migration. The change in the order of speakers allowed Merz to respond to Scholz, but by then, the attention had already waned.
