BERLIN

Germany's conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz faced sharp criticism on Tuesday for flirting with the far-right AfD party ahead of the Feb. 23 parliamentary elections.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a Social Democrat, accused his rival Merz of undermining democratic parties' united front against right-wing extremists by pushing for stricter migration legislation this week with the AfD's support.

“Citizens must now ask themselves whether they can be certain that a coalition with the far-right could be prevented if the Christian Democrats and the AfD gain a majority in parliament. This must be prevented,” Scholz told public broadcaster ARD.

Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) submitted several motions and a draft bill to parliament this week proposing changes to the country's immigration and asylum laws. These measures could only pass with support from the far-right AfD's parliamentary group.

The CDU/CSU's parliamentary leader Thorsten Frei defended their position, saying they are not working with the AfD, sharing draft legislation, or consulting with AfD politicians ahead of the vote. However, he also indicated that the party would not object if their legislation passed with AfD support.

“We won't let anyone prevent us from introducing the policies we believe are right to parliament,” he said, dismissing warnings from the co-ruling Social Democrats and Greens.

The premiers of seven German federal states from the Social Democratic Party, including Brandenburg's Dietmar Woidke and Lower Saxony's Stephan Weil, sent a joint letter to their conservative counterparts on Monday. They urged them to use their influence within their party to prevent any cooperation with the far-right AfD on immigration issues.

“We are concerned that on Wednesday in the German parliament, democratic politicians will vote alongside members of the AfD - a party that is classified as right-wing extremist ,” the leaders said in their letter. “The firewall between democratic and undemocratic parties must not be allowed to falter,” they warned.

The Christian Democrats had previously maintained a strict policy of non-cooperation with the AfD at all levels of government. The party's leadership had repeatedly said the CDU/CSU would not form any coalition with the AfD following federal elections.

The domestic debate about immigration and deportations has intensified following a deadly knife attack in Aschaffenburg last week that left two people dead, including a child. The attack, carried out by a 28-year-old Afghan national, also left three others injured. Authorities have confirmed that the perpetrator had a documented history of violent incidents and mental health issues. Though his asylum application was rejected in June, poor coordination and communication between state agencies prevented his deportation from being carried out.

In the latest campaign polls, Conservative leader Friedrich Merz's CDU/CSU bloc holds a commanding lead. A Forsa poll released Tuesday shows the Christian Democrats with 30% voter support, followed by the far-right AfD at 20%. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) stands at 16%, with the Greens at 14%. Both the liberal FDP and the socialist Die Linke are polling at 4%, and the left-wing populist BSW at 3%—all below the 5% threshold required for parliamentary representation.