The knife attack which occurred last Friday involved a 26-year-old Syrian man who randomly stabbed passersby during the "Festival of Diversity" celebrating the 650th anniversary of Solingen’s founding.

Two men aged 67 and 56, and a 56-year old woman, were killed in the rampage.

The tragedy has intensified the debate over migration and security in Germany.



In an article titled “That’s enough!” published on his website, Merz condemned the government’s handling of security concerns and called for drastic changes, particularly in relation to migration.

Eight others were injured, with four sustaining serious wounds. The suspect fled amid the chaos but later turned himself into authorities on Saturday evening. The attack has since been claimed by the Islamic State.

In his article, Merz accused the coalition government, composed of the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens, and Free Democrats (FDP), of focusing on the wrong issues. “The coalition has been debating and arguing for weeks about tightening gun laws and banning knives,” Merz wrote. “After the terrorist attack in Solingen, it should be clear: the problem isn’t the knives, but the people who carry them. In most cases, these have been refugees, and the majority of crimes have had Islamist motives.”

Merz pointed out that over the last two years, various proposals have been made to the governing coalition to address these security threats, but all have been dismissed. “As of this weekend, it’s clear: that’s enough of that,” he said. The CDU leader then placed the responsibility on Chancellor Olaf Scholz, urging him to take immediate action.

Merz called for decisive measures, including the deportation of refugees to Syria and Afghanistan and a complete halt to accepting new refugees from these countries. “We will no longer accept refugees from these countries,” he stated bluntly.