"If you want to understand the state of Germany in these last weeks of 2025, grasping the meaning of two entries in the German dictionary are essential: stadtbild and haftbefehl. The first term technically means cityscape. But since chancellor Friedrich Merz gave a speech in the state of Brandenburg on 14 October, it has taken on a new political meaning. We have come far with migration, he said, but of course we still have this problem in our stadtbild."
"Asked to clarify his comments at a press conference a few days after his speech, Merz doubled down: he told the journalists to ask your daughters what he meant and refused to elaborate. That one vague line has dominated Germany's political discourse for over a month now. Public figures organised demonstrations and launched open letters rejecting what they saw as a racist dog-whistle by the chancellor. On political talkshows, politicians, actors and comedians rallied to Merz's defence."
"The debate revealed something larger: how Germany's ruling Christian Democrats, who govern in most of the country's states, seem to view Germans of colour not as fellow citizens, but as aesthetic intrusions into an idealised, sanitised vision of the German city. Party allies tried to brush off accusations of racism towards the Chancellor, yet never explained what Merz's ideal cityscape looked like, or who exactly didn't fit into it."
Chancellor Friedrich Merz used the word stadtbild to describe migration as a problem in German cityscapes, saying that Germany still has "this problem in our stadtbild." He refused to elaborate and told journalists to "ask your daughters" what he meant. The remark provoked demonstrations and open letters condemning the comment as a racist dog-whistle, while some politicians, actors and comedians defended him on talkshows. The far-right AfD benefited from the publicity ahead of regional elections. The controversy exposed perceptions within the ruling Christian Democrats that treat Germans of colour as aesthetic intrusions rather than full citizens. The second word, Haftbefehl, is described as equally loaded.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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