Chancellor Friedrich Merz's recent statements suggesting that migration has had a negative impact on German cities will have harmful economic consequences, the president of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) said on Wednesday. "His recent remarks exacerbate societal polarization and cause significant economic damage," Marcel Fratzscher told the business newspaper Handelsblatt. "The chancellor's message weakens Germany's 'culture of welcome' and will exacerbate the shortage of skilled workers in Germany in the coming years," Fratzscher said. Merz's remark last week implying that Germany had a "cityscape" problem caused by the presence of migrants has roused much criticism and protest, but has also received support from conservative allies. So far, the chancellor has not retracted his comment and also given no explanation, saying only that if people asked their daughters, they would receive a "clear and unambiguous answer" — a response that has led to further criticism, with many women saying they do not want to be a pretext for harsh migration policies.