The leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), Tino Chrupalla, has launched a stinging critique of Chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz’s recent pronouncements on urban landscapes, accusing him of a lack of nuance and a display of “double standards”. In an interview with “Welt” television, Chrupalla highlighted the inherent hypocrisy of the situation, suggesting that were he, as an AfD politician, to express similar sentiments, he would likely face immediate scrutiny from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutz), who would swiftly accuse him of generalizations and a failure to differentiate.
Chrupalla emphasized the existence of “well-integrated” individuals – those who have immigrated to Germany, obtained citizenship and abide by the nation’s laws – a distinction, he argues, that Merz conspicuously failed to make. The criticism was particularly sharp given Merz’s position as Chancellor.
Beyond directly addressing Merz’s rhetoric, Chrupalla amplified calls for stricter legal enforcement, framing citizen concerns about visible societal issues as paramount. He pointed to examples of visible decay – litter, crime, so-called “no-go areas” where police presence is curtailed, illegal street racing and public brawls – as indicators of a failing state requiring immediate and decisive action from the rule of law.
Chrupalla’s commentary underscored a pointed accusation: Merz’s current criticism of these conditions represents a measure of accountability for a situation his own party has, to some degree, contributed to creating. He characterized this as a “double standard” that warrants serious observation and demands examination of the CDU’s long-term policy impacts on urban safety and integration efforts.