Chancellor Friedrich Merz suffered blowback for his recent statements on Wednesday when a group of young people staged a walkout during his keynote address at an awards ceremony.
The protest involved around 30 scholarship holders, many with immigrant backgrounds, who were attending the presentation of the Talisman Prize for Social Cohesion in Kreuzberg, Berlin.
Organised by the Deutschlandstiftung Integration, of which Merz is patron, the awards honour individuals committed to social cohesion, as well as those promoting democratic values and integration in Germany.
The protesters wore stickers emblazoned with the slogan “We are the cityscape” and gathered in the entrance area for a group photo before returning to their seats after the 20 minute speech.
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‘We are the cityscape’
The walkout was a direct response to Merz’s controversial “cityscape” (Stadtbild) comments made in mid-October, when Merz had said, “we still have this problem in the cityscape” implying that immigrant communities were to blame for crime and safety issues in German cities.
He later said that the problems were caused by migrants without permanent residence status, who did not work or follow the rules.
According to statements, the young men and women at the awards ceremony felt that his comments unfairly stigmatised migrant communities and undermined their contributions to German society.
During his speech, Merz praised the commitment of those present, saying, “You are role models for so many young people, as we say, with a migrantion background. You show that this effort is worthwhile.”
He acknowledged that many had to work harder than those without a migration background and faced additional challenges due to their names or appearance.
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Merz also said, “Germany is a country of immigration. Without immigration, the history of the Federal Republic would have been different, not better, but worse.”
At the same time, he made it clear that immigration must be “shaped and controlled.”
Notably, the chancellor did not directly address the protest during his speech. He continued with his prepared remarks as the group staged their walkout.
While Merz's now infamous 'Stadtbild' comment continues to haunt him, he is also facing a number of other self-induced wounds. Earlier this week he managed to anger most of Brazil for distasteful comments he made about a recent visit to the country.
He also drew severe criticism from the youth wing of his own Christian Democrat party after he dismissed their objections to his pensions plan with the retort, “You can’t be serious”.
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