Berlin, September 11, 2024, The Europe Today: Negotiations on migration policy between Germany’s federal coalition government, the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU, CSU), and state representatives were abruptly halted on Tuesday after CDU/CSU officials withdrew from the talks. The discussions had aimed to address rising tensions around migration, following a fatal knife attack in Solingen and electoral successes by the anti-migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Saxony and Thuringia.
With another key state election in Brandenburg approaching and federal elections just over a year away, the migration issue has taken center stage in German politics. The breakdown in talks comes a day after the German government announced the expansion of border checks for six months, starting next week, in an effort to manage migration.
Thorsten Frei of the CDU and Andrea Lindholz of the CSU, representing the conservative bloc in the talks, criticized the government’s proposals, stating they did not go far enough to increase deportations of illegal migrants. Frei described the discussions as “superfluous,” saying the federal coalition offered no concrete solutions that would result in more effective border control.
Friedrich Merz, the CDU’s national leader, who did not attend the talks, accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition of being “incurably divided” on the issue. In a statement to Bild newspaper, Merz criticized Scholz for failing to show leadership and claimed the ruling coalition — composed of the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens, and Free Democrats (FDP) — was incapable of agreeing on effective measures to tackle migration challenges.
The talks were attended by Germany’s ministers of interior, justice, and foreign affairs, representing the key branches of the government involved in migration policy. Scholz himself did not participate, drawing further criticism from opposition leaders.
The collapse of these talks underscores the growing political divide over migration in Germany, as the country grapples with rising anti-immigrant sentiment ahead of important state and federal elections.
