BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing rising protests for using anti-immigrant language that critics say is retrieved from the far-right playbook, even as he vows to clearly distance his conservatives from the rising Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Merz, during a visit to the eastern German state of Brandenburg last week, spoke of a “problem in the cityscape” that can be solved by deporting migrants when asked about his strategy for curbing the rise of the far-right, anti-immigration AfD.

“We have come a long way on migration. In this federal government, we have reduced the numbers by 60 percent between August ’24 and August ’25, but of course we still have this problem in the cityscape, which is why the interior minister is now also in the process of enabling and carrying out repatriations on a very large scale,” Merz said.

The backlash intensified after Merz was asked on Monday whether he wanted to retract some of the comment during a press conference that was largely intended to end an internal discussion about possible future cooperation with the far right.

“Let me ask you something in return,” Merz said. “I don’t know if you have children, but if you have daughters, ask them what I might have meant by that. I suspect you’ll get a pretty clear and straightforward answer. I have nothing to take back. On the contrary, I emphasize once again that we must change this.”

In response, Germany’s most well-known activist and a member of the Greens called on Germany’s young women to gather in front of the party headquarters of Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union party on Tuesday evening.

“There are approximately 40 million daughters in this country, and many of us have a genuine interest in ensuring that our safety is taken seriously,” Luisa Neubauer said in a post on Instagram. “What we are not interested in is being misused as a pretext or justification for statements that were ultimately discriminatory, racist and deeply hurtful.”

Merz has been known for occasionally blasting out polarizing statements that provoke fierce criticism. He, for example, emphasized that the Bundestag was “not a circus tent” when asked to weigh in on a discussion about raising the LGBTQ+ flag above the Bundestag to celebrate Pride a couple of months ago. On another occasion, before becoming chancellor, he referred to the sons of migrants as “little paschas” following attacks on police and firefighters.

In the past, Merz has also tried to siphon off AfD voters and take the wind from their sails by promising a sweeping migration crackdown. Despite his efforts, the AfD has continued to rise in popularity and has even surpassed Merz’s conservatives, according to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls.

But after the most recent controversy, members of Merz’s coalition are saying that they expect more from the head of government.

“Merz is no longer the witty commentator on the sidelines who knocks you out, as chancellor he has a special responsibility for the cohesion of our society, the culture of debate and a positive narrative for the future,” said Dennis Radtke, a member of the European Parliament for Merz’s CDU.

He added that the better way to combat the AfD is to focus on problem-solving and promise-keeping, echoing a strategy presented by the CDU’s general secretary at Monday’s press conference on combating the AfD.

Criticism also came from Merz’s coalition partner, the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD).

Politicians should address the problems Germany is facing, said Tim Klüssendorf, the general secretary of the SPD. “But constantly attributing everything to one issue, the issue of migration, and mixing everything together and making sweeping generalizations divides people and destroys trust,” he said during a television interview.

“My expectations of the head of a state are significantly higher,” he added.