Morning opening: The German firewall is crumbling
Friedrich Merz, favourite to become the next German chancellor, will bring proposals to radically change asylum and immigration laws before parliament today, even if they end up being passed with the support of Alternative für Deutschland.
As our Berlin correspondent, Kate Connolly, explains, Merz has been accused of shifting his position on the country’s “firewall” against the far-right party with the proposed law change, which would aim to dramatically increase the number of deportations.
The proposals include effectively closing German land borders to irregular migration and allowing the federal police to request arrest warrants for people who do not have the legal right to remain in Germany. Critics say the proposals could break European law.
The policy shift follows an attack in Aschaffenburg last week in which a two-year-old child and a 41-year-old man were stabbed to death by an asylum seeker from Afghanistan who had been scheduled for deportation. Chancellor Scholz will speak about the attack today, too.
On Tuesday night, the German Catholic and Protestant churches warned against Merz’s plan, saying in a letter seen by Reuters that “the timing and the tone of the debate appear deeply strange to us,” and worrying that the move could “defame all migrants living in Germany, stir up prejudices, and does not contribute to solving the real issues.”
The joint letter warned against dropping the firewall against the far-right, saying: “We fear that German democracy will suffer massive damage if this political promise is abandoned.”
Separately, over the weekend, tens of thousands of Germans took to the streets to demonstrate against the far-right and to denounce Merz’s plans.
However, less than four weeks before the elections on 23 February, their calls are likely to fall on deaf ears as toughening the language on migration is seen as necessary to secure the best possible result at the polls.
On Monday, Merz said: “There are 40,000 asylum applicants who need to be deported. A local politician told me this weekend that there are ticking timebombs walking around our towns and communities.”
His senior ally, Thorsten Frei, told reporters: “We are at a point where we have to depart from tactical considerations. We have to do things that have to be done.”
All of this is to come as part of what was supposed to be a sombre and reflective sitting of the German parliament, opening at midday with a ceremony to mark the Holocaust Memorial Day. Given the many warnings from survivors about the rise of the far-right movements in Europe, it feels wrong and weirdly apt at the same time.
I will bring you the latest on this throughout the day.
We will also take a look at the latest in Serbia, Italy, Ireland, Ukraine, and, of course, Denmark and Greenland. Much more to come during the day, no doubt.
It’s Wednesday, 29 January 2025, and this is Europe live. It’s Jakub Krupa here.
Good morning.
