Bold and Brash: Merz and Frederiksen aim to tighten EU asylum policies
Preeminent Insider Acquires Design Schematics, Yet Challenges Remain Complex
Author: Hubertus Volmer
The meeting of minds
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, renowned for his shift to the right, has found himself seeing eye-to-eye with the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, a favored social democrat among the German conservatives. Their meeting in Berlin saw them discussing shared concerns, including their push for a strengthened European Union.
Long-standing admiration
At the 2022 Munich Security Conference, Merz, then still a Chancellor candidate, publicly admired Frederiksen's bold stance on Russia. His sentiments seemingly extended to migration policy as well, as he expressed a desire to emulate Denmark's successful practices.
Role model for Europe
Merz met Frederiksen in person in February 2023, and she proved to be his role model yet again. "Denmark has been a role model for us in migration policy for a long time," Merz said during a joint press conference in the Chancellery. By "us," he likely referred to his political party, the CDU. "We are also working together towards new and stricter asylum rules in the European Union."
Praise and acknowledgment
Reciprocating Merz's compliment, Frederiksen praised his early leadership in Europe. "You are an early bird for Europe," she said, using a popular proverb. She expressed pleasure in witnessing "German leadership" working towards a stronger Europe.
Lingering complications
However, the path to imitating Denmark's migration policies is fraught with complexities for Germany. Merz acknowledged that Germany has "much more external borders" than its Scandinavian neighbor, making the implementation of Denmark's strategies challenging.
Enrichment: Key differences and challenges
Denmark and Germany are on different migration policy paths:
- Deterrence Measures: Denmark, having increasingly stricter family reunification rules and advocating for stricter EU asylum rules, employs a deterrence approach aimed at discouraging asylum seekers. In contrast, Germany, while moving towards stricter policies, historically has been more open to migration.
- Asylum Numbers and Policy: Denmark focuses on reducing asylum numbers through these deterrence measures, while Germany has handled a larger volume of asylum seekers and is aligning its policies more closely with Denmark's approach.
- Influence on EU Policy: Both countries strive to implement stricter asylum rules across the EU, though Denmark is also advocating for a reinterpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights to facilitate easier expulsion of migrants who commit crimes.
The German Dilemma: Balancing pressure and solidarity
Experts like Raphael Bossong argue that the German government faces a difficult dilemma: while aiming to increase pressure on neighboring countries through border controls, the country must also adhere to EU rules and fulfill its obligations. The German government is thus in a catch-22, trying to balance its push for stricter asylum policies within the EU with the need to enforce existing laws.
Despite this challenge, Merz and Frederiksen stand firm in their call for change, with the hope of reshaping migration policies throughout the European Union.
- The Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was praised by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for her bold stance not only on Russia but also on migration policy, with Merz expressing a desire to emulate Denmark's successful practices in the latter.
- During their meeting in Berlin, Merz and Frederiksen discussed their shared concern for a strengthened European Union and their push for stricter asylum policies within the EU.
- Although Merz acknowledged that implementing Denmark's migration policies in Germany would be complex due to its significantly larger number of external borders, he still referred to Denmark as a role model for Germany in migration policy.
