'Chancellor of lies:' AfD's Weidel skewers Merz over first two months
"For the bitterly disappointed citizens, you are already the chancellor of lies, Mr Merz, whose broken campaign promises could fill entire catalogues," said Weidel, the co-leader of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD).
In a speech during a general debate in the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, Weidel criticized Merz sharply over the controversial decision to cut electricity taxes only for large industries, agriculture and forestry, instead of for the entire population.
The measure was included in the coalition agreement between Merz's conservative bloc - the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union - and the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), but was left out of the draft 2025 budget.
"Your word is worth nothing, ever when it stands in black and white in your meagre coalition agreement," said Weidel, calling Merz a "paper chancellor" under the spell of the SPD.
In her speech, she also attacked the new government's migration policy, blasting "window dressing exercises" such as Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt's much-criticized effort to toughen up border controls.
She further said the government's plans were being financed with an "orgy of debts" and criticized support for Ukraine.
In response, Merz rejected Weidel's "half-truths, slander and personal disparagement."
Amid the heated scenes, Bundestag President Julia Klöckner called on lawmakers not to "belittle each other personally here and accuse each other of lying."
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