- Merz proposes a migration agreement to Scholz sans the Traffic Light coalition
Following the lethal stabbing incident in Solingen, Friedrich Merz (CDU) proposed to Olaf Scholz (SPD) a joint overhaul of migration policy, bypassing the coalition partners Green and FDP. Merz stated, after an hour-long rendezvous with Scholz in Berlin, that the Union and SPD, united, wouldn't require either the Greens or FDP to enact necessary legislative changes.
The proposal hints at a coalition dissolution. According to the 2021 coalition agreement, the three coalition partners commit to voting in unison in the German Bundestag and its committees, ruling out shifts in majorities. Only in ethical matters, like assisted dying, is the legislative whip usually lifted. The Greens and FDP are unlikely to concur with this on a primary political issue like migration policy.
"Scholz's grip on his nation is weakening"
Merz cited the Chancellor's executive authority and emphasized the SPD and Union's collective power, having 403 out of the 733 Members of Parliament, providing an absolute majority in parliament. "This isn't a bid to join the coalition. We're not aiming to participate in the government," Merz clarified. However, urgent action is required, unencumbered by taboos. "The Chancellor is losing control of his nation. He's losing trust."
Scholz didn't acknowledge the proposal throughout their conversation, according to Merz. "He didn't verbally agree spontaneously," Merz reported. He anticipates a response within a few days, by the commencement of the next parliamentary session on September 9.
Merz removed his tie upon departing from the chancellery, attributing it to the breakfast they shared. Merz described the conversation as "unusually amicable." Nevertheless, Merz had already placed considerable pressure on Scholz prior to this encounter. Under the headline "Enough is enough!," he called for a migration policy overhaul on Sunday and reiterated his demands at a campaign event in Dresden on Monday. "We seek nothing more and nothing less than for the Federal Chancellor to uphold his constitutional obligations and safeguard the German population."
Merz proposes union-government migration commissioners
During their discussion, Merz suggested creating commissioners from the government and the Union to research feasible legislative options. Merz intends to assign the Union's parliamentary business manager, Thorsten Frei (CDU), to the meeting.
Moreover, Merz presented specific suggestions to put migration policy reform on the parliamentary agenda as early as the first session in mid-September. Originally, the first week was earmarked solely for discussing the 2025 budget. Merz's proposal suggests allocating half a day to evaluate potential migration policy agreements.
Specifically, the Union demands that rejected asylum seekers should be fundamentally deported to Syria and Afghanistan. Those who journey back to their homeland as refugees should instantly lose any residency status in Germany. There should be regular controls at the EU's external borders, and enhanced powers for the federal police. Additionally, Merz highlights the possibility of declaring a "national emergency" to circumvent EU law, thus facilitating the repatriation of immigrants who initially entered another EU country first.
The likelihood of an informal grand coalition solving migration issues appears slim. It's challenging to envision that Merz's provocations towards the traffic light coalition, just days before the crucial state elections in Thuringia and Saxony, would foster Scholz's inclination to collaborate. Scholz is likely to view Merz's move as a deceitful offer.
This wouldn't be the first time a cross-party migration pact failed. In November, Scholz and Merz concluded cooperation negotiations. Afterwards, there was a significant period of silence.
The Commission, as referred to in the coalition agreement, likely includes the Member States, as Merz's proposal involves their assistance in overhauling migration policy. Despite Scholz's initial silence, Merz's proposal to establish union-government migration commissioners requires close cooperation between the SPD and the Member States to investigate feasible legislative options.
