Friday

29th Mar 2024

Refugee split leaves German coalition deal hanging

  • The parties under Merkel and Schulz suffered massive losses under last year's German federal election (Photo: European Parliament)

Germany has yet to form a government given, in part, outstanding divisions over migration despite intense talks over the weekend.

Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian ally, the Christian Social Union (CSU), remain at odds with Martin Schulz's Social Democrats (SPD) on a family reunification policy for refugees.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The conservative bloc oppose allowing refugees to bring over their families. The centre-left socialists are in favour.

The coalition talks ended in the early hours of Monday (29 January) with an aim to reach agreement at the start of next month.

"It drives me crazy that we can't find a humane solution to this issue with a party that has the word Christian in its name," Lars Castellucci, an SPD MP, was quoted as saying in the Financial Times newspaper.

Some 278,000 refugees in Germany were given a subsidiary protection status, which restricts their options to bring over relatives.

The reduced status was imposed following the large inflow of refugees in 2015 and is set to expire in mid-March. Merkel's bloc want to extend the March deadline.

The move was made, in part, to appease a right-wing base that helped make the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) the third largest party.

Earlier this month, the AfD floated a bill to impose a flat out ban on family reunification.

Despite scraping by with a federal election win four months ago, a weakened Merkel has been unable to form a grand coalition. Her bloc is also seeking to impose an annual refugee cap of up to 220,000.

The September election result had delivered a historic blow for both the conservatives and the socialists.

The SPD, itself struggling with internal divisions, appeared to throw her a lifeline last week when they agreed to begin official talks.

But should the talks fail, then Merkel may have to opt for a minority coalition or risk a possible second German federal election.

Her previous attempt late last year to form a coalition with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens had also collapsed.

Germany to let slip 2020 climate target

Prospective governing coalition partners give up on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent in 2020, saying instead they will achieve that in the early 2020s.

SPD wants EU at heart of German coalition talks

Germany's three mainstream parties have begun their discussions for a new grand coalition, more than three months after the September election which saw them all lose seats.

Uproar at Belgian bill letting police raid homes for migrants

A Belgian government proposal to crack down on migrants ordered to leave the country has sparked heated debates, as the bill allows police to raid and search people's homes. The bill has also now provoked a backlash from judges.

Merkel defends her coalition government

The German chancellor admitted that the agreement with the social-democrats was "painful" but "acceptable", and insisted she wanted to stay in power for four years.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us