But that consensus, often described as a "firewall" by German politicians, seemed to have been undermined on Wednesday when a motion on migration policy put forward by the conservative CDU/CSU bloc was approved by the Bundestag with the support of the far-right AfD.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz may need support in the Bundestag from the AfD, a move that has attracted wide condemnation.

The German Catholic and Protestant churches warned on Tuesday against the conservative opposition's plan to crack down on immigration, which they said could break a convention against mainstream parties cooperating with the far-right.

BERLIN—The front-runner in Germany’s election made a gambit this week to woo supporters of an increasingly popular far-right party by proposing a raft of new immigration restrictions. The move is now backfiring.

German lawmakers face another hugely contentious vote on Friday, days after a motion demanding reforms to migration laws passed in parliament with backing from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD),

Germany's conservative opposition leader was set Friday to again seek far-right support in parliament on the flashpoint issue of immigration, after his first effort sparked widespread condemnation and street protests.

The Alternative for Germany party helped conservatives push an immigration restriction proposal over the threshold this week, breaking the long-standing “firewall” separating the party from mainstream politics.