The former German chancellor said it was not right to remain silent after her party, the conservative CDU, relied on votes from the far-right AfD to pass a motion in parliament.

Former German leader reiterates swipe at chancellor candidate from her own Christian Democratic Union ahead of Feb. 23 election.

Support for Germany’s center-right CDU/CSU alliance led by Friedrich Merz dropped in a new poll, while the Greens and two smaller far-left parties gained.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has issued rare public criticism of her successor as the country’s center-right leader, the front-runner in Germany’s election next month, for putting to parliament proposals for tough new migration rules that only passed with the help of a far-right party.

Last week, the CDU broke the mainstream parties' so-called firewall of noncooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, as it relied on votes from AfD members in Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, to pass a nonbinding vote on tougher border and asylum rules.

Support for Germany’s center-right CDU/CSU alliance led by Friedrich Merz dropped in a new poll, while the Greens and two smaller far-left parties gained.

Less than three weeks before federal elections, the Forsa poll for RTL/ntv also showed support for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) holding steady at 16%. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was unchanged at 20%.

Support for Germany's conservative CDU/CSU alliance has dropped to 28% ahead of elections on February 23, a poll showed on Tuesday, days after it cooperated with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to pass a motion in parliament.