As expected, German voters have sent a powerful message to Chancellor Angela Merkel over the migrants issue. On Sunday, roughly nine millions Germans cast their votes in three state elections and Merkel’s Conservatives were punished with voters flocking to the anti-immigrant AfD party. Merkel’s party suffered defeats in two out of three states -- including in traditional stronghold Baden-Wuerttemberg. But Merkel is no ordinary leader. She has said she would stand by her refugee policy. And that requires courage and a certain vision.
At the same time, Merkel has started taking remedial measures to soothe the public anger. A European Union deal with Turkey will be decisive to easing Europe’s migrant crisis and negotiations are at an advanced stage to make this deal a reality. The German leader is in the forefront of these tough talks. “What is at stake tomorrow and the day after tomorrow is whether we can get a deal that, for the first time, gives us a chance to get a sustainable, pan-European solution to the refugee issue,” she said, addressing the lower house of German parliament.
It’s highly unlikely that Germany will accept new asylum seekers and it will be improper to expect the country to do so because it has already taken more than a million immigrants, the highest number in Europe. But there is concern about the status of those who have already arrived. Anti-immigrant sentiment has been rising and anti-immigrant parties are gaining more muscles. The public discontent and anger resulting from this can make life miserable for refugees, who will be under constant scrutiny and monitoring and any undesirable action from their side or a major act of crime can further inflame passions.
Merkel must focus on sealing the EU deal with Turkey. The Turkish government has made some demands which has met with opposition from some quarters in Europe. The EU has offered to waive visa rules for Turks if Ankara fulfils 72 conditions, among demands yet to be met include signing a deal with EU police agency Europol, adopting EU data protection rules and dropping visa requirements for nationals of certain EU member states. The EU will have to make concessions to sign the deal. There is no alternative to this deal and any failure will have huge consequences for Europe. Greece is also facing a huge crisis due to the migrants influx. The closing of the migrant route through the Balkans had created a challenging situation for Greece that should concern all of Europe.
Migration has become a divisive issue in Europe. And of all the leaders, Merkel has more at stake. She will have to spend a lot of her time, talent and energy to find a solution that will limit the damage.
As expected, German voters have sent a powerful message to Chancellor Angela Merkel over the migrants issue. On Sunday, roughly nine millions Germans cast their votes in three state elections and Merkel’s Conservatives were punished with voters flocking to the anti-immigrant AfD party. Merkel’s party suffered defeats in two out of three states -- including in traditional stronghold Baden-Wuerttemberg. But Merkel is no ordinary leader. She has said she would stand by her refugee policy. And that requires courage and a certain vision.
At the same time, Merkel has started taking remedial measures to soothe the public anger. A European Union deal with Turkey will be decisive to easing Europe’s migrant crisis and negotiations are at an advanced stage to make this deal a reality. The German leader is in the forefront of these tough talks. “What is at stake tomorrow and the day after tomorrow is whether we can get a deal that, for the first time, gives us a chance to get a sustainable, pan-European solution to the refugee issue,” she said, addressing the lower house of German parliament.
It’s highly unlikely that Germany will accept new asylum seekers and it will be improper to expect the country to do so because it has already taken more than a million immigrants, the highest number in Europe. But there is concern about the status of those who have already arrived. Anti-immigrant sentiment has been rising and anti-immigrant parties are gaining more muscles. The public discontent and anger resulting from this can make life miserable for refugees, who will be under constant scrutiny and monitoring and any undesirable action from their side or a major act of crime can further inflame passions.
Merkel must focus on sealing the EU deal with Turkey. The Turkish government has made some demands which has met with opposition from some quarters in Europe. The EU has offered to waive visa rules for Turks if Ankara fulfils 72 conditions, among demands yet to be met include signing a deal with EU police agency Europol, adopting EU data protection rules and dropping visa requirements for nationals of certain EU member states. The EU will have to make concessions to sign the deal. There is no alternative to this deal and any failure will have huge consequences for Europe. Greece is also facing a huge crisis due to the migrants influx. The closing of the migrant route through the Balkans had created a challenging situation for Greece that should concern all of Europe.
Migration has become a divisive issue in Europe. And of all the leaders, Merkel has more at stake. She will have to spend a lot of her time, talent and energy to find a solution that will limit the damage.
