The planned reform of EU asylum law was controversially discussed in Berlin for weeks. Shortly before a meeting of EU interior ministers, Chancellor Scholz speaks out.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has spoken out in the dispute over a new European asylum law. According to information from t-online, Germany will give up its blockade and agree to the agreement on Thursday – including the crisis regulation controversial in the traffic light. The “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (FAZ) and “Bild” had previously reported this.
According to the “Süddeutscher Zeitung”, however, Scholz is said to have asked Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) and Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) to reach an agreement, but did not make a decision himself. Instead, a meeting between the two ministers is planned. According to information from t-online, this conversation is still planned.
The dispute is about the crisis regulation, an aspect of the planned reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). While Faeser had already spoken out in favor of the planned reform, Baerbock in particular still rejects the crisis regulation.
Germany had come under pressure
Because of the blockade, the federal government recently came under pressure from its European partners. The dispute is specifically about the fact that the government made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP did not want to support a proposal from the Spanish EU Council Presidency for the crisis regulation in July.
The EU states were therefore unable to position themselves for negotiations with the European Parliament. There is a meeting of EU interior ministers in Brussels on Thursday.
This is how Berlin justified its blockade
Berlin justified its blockade in Brussels in particular by saying that the regulation would give EU states the opportunity to lower the protection standards for these people to an unacceptable extent in the event of a particularly large influx of migrants.
In crisis situations, for example, it should be possible to extend the period during which people can be held in prison-like conditions. In addition, the circle of people who are eligible for the planned strict border procedures could be increased.
Political maneuver by Baerbock?
There is a lack of understanding about Germany’s position in particular because, according to the current proposal, the standard rules should not be relaxed automatically, but only after the approval of the Council of Member States and under strict supervision of the EU Commission. Even in a crisis situation, there are still a number of control options to prevent misuse.
It is therefore seen as a possible political maneuver before the state elections in Bavaria and Hesse that German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock surprisingly explained the federal government’s stance at the weekend no longer with human rights concerns, but with the risk of an even larger influx of migrants to Germany.
At the weekend, the Green politician wrote without explanation on the short message service Germany.”
