Sebastian Kurz, the former Chancellor of Austria, has pointed to Angela Merkel’s migration policies as the key factor in the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which is currently polling second ahead of the February 23 national election in Germany.

In an interview with German tabloid Bild, Kurz argued that without Merkel’s open-border policies since 2015, the AfD would not have gained significant strength.

He further criticized the political establishment for ignoring voter concerns, which he believes have led many to support fringe parties like the AfD.

Merkel, who served as Germany's Chancellor from 2005 to 2021, recently made a rare public intervention in the ongoing political discourse, rebuking the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz for breaking the CDU's longstanding opposition to the AfD.

This occurred when the CDU relied on AfD votes to pass a nonbinding motion rejecting asylum seekers at Germany's borders.

Merkel described this move as a 'fundamental mistake.'

Kurz, who led the Austrian People’s Party until his resignation in 2021 following a corruption scandal, defended the strategy of working with the AfD, arguing that political decisions should be based on principle, not on alliances.

He dismissed concerns that aligning with the far-right would harm the CDU’s image, stating that 'fear of agreeing with the AfD is no excuse for doing the wrong thing.'

In Germany, left-leaning parties have drawn parallels between Merz’s strategy and Austria’s political shifts, where the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) is poised to play a leading role in government.

Green Party leader Robert Habeck warned that Germany could be on a similar path, calling it a critical moment for the country’s democratic stability.

Habeck urged voters to reject the normalization of far-right politics, citing Austria's example as a potential warning.