“Positive atmosphere,” declared CDU president Friedrich Merz yesterday, the potential next chancellor who wants a government capable of facing Germany’s major challenges: its international role, economic recovery from the crisis, the fight against illegal immigration.
After a decade of dreaming of “welcoming refugees”, Germany is finally addressing the contradictions of immigration by announcing a decisive turn in its fight against illegal immigration. This is the result of negotiations held in Berlin over the past two days by the CDU, CSU and SPD, the parties that aim to form the next grand coalition government. Negotiations that were not without friction, but ended with the drafting of a summary document that will serve as the basis for the pact on which the executive will be founded. “Positive atmosphere”, declared yesterday the president of the CDU Friedrich Merz, the possible next chancellor who wants a government capable of facing the great challenges of Germany: the international role, the economic recovery from the crisis, the fight against illegal immigration.
EMIGRATION PLAN
On this point, the People’s Party won across the board, prevailing over the Social Democrats. “From the first day” of his government taking office, the CDU chairman stressed, police checks at Germany’s borders will be increased “massively” and all undocumented migrants, including asylum seekers, will be turned away. The pushbacks will be carried out “in coordination” with neighboring states. In order to “significantly” reduce illegal immigration, deportations will also be accelerated and family reunifications for holders of subsidiary protection will be suspended for a limited time. Humanitarian reception programs, such as the one for Afghans threatened by the Taliban that has been ongoing since 2022, will be discontinued and will not be started again, while the goal of “limiting” immigration will be reintroduced into the law on the right of residence.
THE “OFFENSIVE” OF EXPULSIONS
A repatriation “offensive” from Germany will then begin, with deportations also to Syria and Afghanistan. Migrants who are to be deported who have German citizenship will have their citizenship revoked, especially if they are supporters of terrorism, extremists or anti-Semites. Instead, the Scholz government’s law simplifying naturalization will remain in force, thus encouraging the arrival of skilled workers that the German economy needs. A concession from the Social Democrats, who irresponsibly accepted Merz’s turn against illegal immigration. “Order and humanity: the state must control and enforce the rules,” said SPD co-chairman Lars Klingbeil, who said that integration success stories must increase, while irregular entries must decrease.
DEADLINE
Chancellor-in-waiting Merz wants to form a coalition by Easter, which falls on April 20 this year. He has warned that it is “five minutes to midnight” for Europe to face a hostile Russia, with the US under President Donald Trump no longer seen as a reliable ally. The two parties were racing for a deal before next week, when they hope to push an easing of Germany’s borrowing limits through parliament to revive growth in Europe’s biggest economy and boost military spending. “There is great urgency, especially with regard to the Bundeswehr (military) budget,” Merz said.
In Germany, where coalitions are the norm, governments are usually formed in two stages, with parties first holding exploratory talks and then entering formal coalition talks. Merz’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the SPD have bargained on issues such as migration and welfare payments, coming together after a bitter election campaign. In his speech, Merz said Germany should aim for economic growth of 1%-2% and lower energy costs to help businesses. “In coordination with our European neighbors, we will turn away people at our common borders, including asylum seekers,” Merz said. (DW)
