Overview
- Unionsfraktionschef Jens Spahn told Politico the CDU–SPD government is suffering a "brutal" slump, saying, "We win together, we lose together; right now we are losing together."
- Spahn criticized Social Democrats for implying the Union is using "racist narratives" and urged the coalition to focus on decisions rather than public quarrels.
- The dispute stems from Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s mid‑October remark about a "problem" in the cityscape linked to stepped‑up returns, which he later said referred to people without residency or work who ignore rules.
- Critics and left‑leaning outlets argue large‑scale deportations would not materially change public spaces, citing roughly 40,000 people immediately obliged to leave and about 180,000 more facing legal barriers, while warning of expanded policing such as controls flagged by CSU figures.
- Local responses remain split, with Chemnitz CDU backing returns, Greens calling Merz’s framing sweeping and misleading, and an SPD city councillor saying urban issues also reflect vandalism, vacancies and broader social problems.