Tens of thousands have protested across Germany against the center-right leader and front-runner in a Feb. 25 election for sending to parliament proposals for tough new migration rules with support of a far-right party.

"It's good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything," he said in a virtual visit.

Thousands of people protested in Berlin on Sunday against plans to limit immigration proposed by opposition conservatives and supported by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Friedrich Merz,

Germany's election frontrunner Friedrich Merz on Monday called on his conservative CDU to "stay the course" after mass protests against its acceptance of far-right AfD support for calls to restrict immigration.