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.

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

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.

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.

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.