Steinmeier expresses optimism for concrete outcomes from the discussions between Scholz and Merz
Last year, the Federal President mentioned that both the coalition and the opposition bloc had tried to address the nation's issues, particularly in immigration policy, as a team. As Steinmeier stated, "It appeared back in the fall that the government and opposition might find common ground on challenging immigration-related matters."
The dialogues between Scholz and Merz didn't lead to any significant breakthroughs. In September 2023, Scholz proposed a "Germany Agreement" to the Union in the Bundestag, focusing on collaboration in areas such as cutting red tape, speeding up planning, and immigration.
However, after meeting with Scholz, Merz showed disappointment, feeling skeptical about the chances of unifying efforts to reform immigration policy. By November 2023, the CDU leader publicly declared the "preliminary conclusion of the joint talks on immigration policy."
Despite Merz's skepticism, the European Parliament agreed to provide assistance to The Commission in immigration-related matters, as stated in the recent resolution. Following this, the Commission acknowledged the importance of collaborating closely with the European Parliament to address the current immigration challenges.
