German Parliament rejects Merz's migration bill: what's going on
Kyiv • UNN
The German parliament voted against toughening migration laws proposed by CDU leader Friedrich Merz. The bill was supported by the far-right, which caused massive protests in the country.
The German Bundestag has spoken out against the radical tightening of German migration legislation. This is reported by UNN with reference to the British edition of The Guardian.
Details
According to the newspaper, the German parliament rejected an initiative to tighten immigration policy proposed by the leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz.
The draft law gained widespread attention as it received the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which caused a wave of protests across the country.
The vote was attended by 693 MPs. 350 MPs voted against the draft law. 338 MPs supported the draft law. 5 deputies abstained
Friedrich Merz justified his initiative by the need to ensure internal security and fight crime among immigrants. He categorically denied any cooperation with the AfD, stating that he was acting solely in the interests of the country.
Many people are concerned about the state of democracy, but there are also those who are worried about security and order in this country and are waiting for decisions to be made
Merz said that the bill was necessary in response to a series of high-profile murders committed by people with a migrant background. In response, Chancellor Olaf Scholz noted that existing laws are sufficient to prevent such attacks if they are properly implemented.
It is noted that according to recent polls, 66% to 67% of Germans support permanent control of Germany's borders, including 56% of supporters of the Social Democratic Party.
After this week's high-profile events, during which Merz was accused of flirting with the far right, parallels were drawn with the political processes that led to the Nazis' rise to power through a split in the democratic parties.
The Weimar Republic fell because of a lack of unity in democracy. But Weimar also collapsed because authoritarian sentiments never completely disappeared
He called on Merz to abandon his initiative and “rebuild the protective wall against cooperation with the AfD,” warning that otherwise he risks tarnishing his political reputation.
According to the publication, in his speech, Merz unexpectedly criticized his predecessor, Angela Merkel, saying that his party was “largely responsible” for the AfD's entry into the Bundestag in 2017.
In his remarks, he referred to Merkel's open-door policy, which saw almost 1 million people enter Germany in 2015, but Merz continued by saying that it was thanks to the tripartite coalition led by Scholz that the party has since become “twice as strong.”
Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock of the Green Party called on Merz to withdraw his bill: “This is not about you, this is about Germany. Sometimes you have to make a 180-degree change in your policy. This is such a moment. Make the right choice.
According to the first poll after the vote, the AfD's rating remained at 22%, while support for the CDU/CSU bloc dropped by 1% to 29%. Meanwhile, Olaf Scholz's SPD added 1.5% to reach 17%, its best result in two months.
Amid political tensions, a wave of protests against the conservatives' cooperation with the far right swept across Germany. In Berlin, near the Brandenburg Gate, activists created a symbolic inscription made of luminous letters: “Hope and Resistance,” and on posters with the CDU logo, the word ‘protective wall’ (brandmauer) was crossed out and replaced with ‘arsonist’ (brandstifter).
Recall
German chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz saidthat if elected, he would close the borders to illegal migrants on his first day in office. He intends to instruct border guards to reject all attempts at illegal entry without exception.
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