Germany's Migration Debate Shakes Conservative Bloc

Support for Germany's conservative bloc has dropped as election polls reveal a controversial tie with the far-right to pass a migration crackdown. Conservatives face backlash and internal rifts as migration dominates campaign discourse following high-profile violent incidents linked to immigrants.

Germany's conservative bloc saw its support drop by 2 percentage points, falling to 28%, just weeks before the federal elections. A recent survey attributed this decline to Friedrich Merz's controversial decision to collaborate with the far-right in passing a migration crackdown in parliament.

The poll conducted by Forsa for RTL/ntv highlighted that Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) maintained steady support at 16%, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) held firm at 20%. Merz's move to push migration restrictions with AfD backing has sparked a significant shift in the political discourse.

The campaign focus shifted to migration following several violent incidents involving asylum seekers, including a deadly stabbing on January 22. Merz's attempt to introduce further migration laws failed, as some legislators from his own ranks withheld support, revealing internal party rifts.

(With inputs from agencies.)