The television program ARD Arena is renowned for bringing political leaders and public figures face-to-face with ordinary members of the public.
On Monday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz and current leader of the conservative Christian Democrat Union (CDU) appeared on the show, fielding questions on a wide range of topics including healthcare and pensions.
But none of these questions generated as many headlines as an exchange on immigration, referring back to Merz’s infamous 'Stadtbild' comments in October which had sparked accusations of xenophobia and racism.
Merz's response to a question on that incident revealed signs of a more positive approach to immigration – and a degree of self-criticism. But he also failed to issue an apology, preferring to point out that, “anyone who has tried to understand (what I said) with a little goodwill will have realised what I meant.”
What exactly did Merz say?
During the programme, Merz was directly challenged by members of the studio audience about his earlier Stadtbild comments.
He was asked to clarify his position and respond to criticism that his remarks had stigmatised immigrants and contributed to intensifying divisiveness around the issue in public discourse.
Merz had said in October that the federal government was making progress on migration policy, and then he had added: “But of course we still have this problem in our cityscape, which is why the Interior Minister is now working to enable and carry out repatriations on a very large scale.”
On Monday, Merz acknowledged the controversy with a degree of self-criticism, saying, “Perhaps I should have said earlier what I specifically meant by that. I would do things differently today.”
“We need immigration,” he said, adding, “The entire medical sector, the care sector, and in many other areas. Without those who come from other countries, these industries simply wouldn't work anymore.”
While Merz stopped short of issuing a formal apology – he did not use the word “sorry” – he admitted that his previous statement had been misleading and expressed regret for not being more clear.
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Specifically, Merz said he should have "emphasised the distinction more strongly", apparently referring to the distinction between different groups of immigrants.
He went on to qualify his support for immigration, making it clear that he sees the topic largely in transactional terms.
“Those who want to live in our country must abide by the rules,” he said. “And if they don't, they have to leave.”
Notably, Merz appeared to blame much of the controversy on the public’s interpretation of his words, suggesting that “anyone who has tried to understand (what I said) with a little goodwill will have also understood what I meant.”
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Neck and neck with the Alternative for Germany
Merz’s comments represent a striking change in tone from the man who made tightening Germany's borders and drawing a tough line on immigration a key pillar of his party's election campaign at the beginning of the year.
Recent polls place his CDU party neck-and-neck with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) at around 25-27 percent of the national vote.
Merz’s new, softer line may have been prompted in part by recent evidence that the CDU’s hard-line stance on immigration could be damaging its electoral prospects.
The CDU-affiliated Konrad Adenauer Foundation recently published a study which found that the CDU’s emphasis on migration issues cost it votes in the last general election, with some party supporters having voted for other parties after Merz had signalled readiness to cooperate with the AfD on migration policies.
The research also revealed that CDU voters were more concerned about the economy and infrastructure than immigration, suggesting that a campaign focused on economic policy would have attracted broader support.
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