On Thursday at 8.38 a.m., the new German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser walked on the red carpet in the European building in Brussels. The carpet was not rolled out for her, it is permanently installed in the home of the European Council. Representatives of the 27 EU governments stroll through Europe’s political construction sites on red carpets, and Nancy Faeser, who is still the state and parliamentary group leader of the Hessian SPD until Wednesday, is undoubtedly working on the ugliest construction site of all: migration.
The Minister’s first business trip led to the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, a courageous choice, since discussions on the Belarus crisis were also on the agenda – and with it Germany’s relationship with Poland. Faeser’s first “doorstep”, as one calls political donations at the “front door”, turned out to be a massive performance.
Faeser praised the performance of the EU, which jointly counteracts the “inhuman” activities of the autocrat Alexander Lukashenko. However, she warned that “legal standards” must be adhered to when dealing with the people who Lukashenko sends to the border. Therefore it is desirable that the European border protection agency Frontex and also aid organizations get access to the border. By Brussels standards, this is a clear criticism of the Polish government.
The new Federal Minister of the Interior with the EU Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson (right) in Brussels on Thursday.
(Photo: JOHN THYS / AFP)
With all diplomatic means including threats of sanctions, the EU has succeeded in curbing migrants’ travel to Belarus. However, there are a number of governments that show gratitude to the Poles for the way they seal off the border. The fact that this approach is beyond EU legality is accepted with approval. Horst Seehofer had also shown understanding.
Nancy Faeser’s predecessor did “an excellent job,” said Slovenian Interior Minister Aleš Hojs on Thursday. During the Slovenian Council Presidency he was, so to speak, host Nancy Faesers, which did not prevent him from fleeing into sarcasm when he was asked about the “modern” migration policy of the traffic light coalition. What was “modern”, he asked back: Let the migrants into the EU just like that?
The debates about German refugee policy flare up again
When the Scholz government took office, the debates about German refugee policy flared up again. Many consider them to be the cause of all refugee problems in the EU because their philanthropy attracts migrants. According to the coalition agreement, the new interior minister must now work towards a “fair distribution of responsibility and competence” in the reception of migrants, towards “better standards for asylum seekers in the asylum procedure and in integration in the EU states”. The “illegal rejections and suffering at the external borders” are to be ended. All of this is in stark contrast to reality.
The attitude of French President Emmanuel Macron towards Croatia is indicative. Scandalous cases of pushbacks were reported from there, but Macron praised the government for showing that it could defend the EU’s external borders. That is why the country is ripe for acceptance into the Schengen area, the European zone for free, unrestricted movement of people. The council unanimously passed the relevant decision on Thursday.
Nancy Faeser announced that she wanted to coordinate closely with her French colleague Gérald Darmanin. It can hardly be assumed that Paris will be enthusiastic about migration policy goals of the traffic light coalition, such as a “coalition of member states willing to accept”. The issue of migration dominates the election campaign, Macron will not want to show any nakedness. In its presidency in the first half of 2022, however, the French government seems to want to make a fresh attempt to adopt the European migration pact.
This paper, presented by the EU Commission more than a year ago, contains common rules for dealing with the issue of migration par excellence. It bordered on a political miracle if, of all times, it were now possible to reconcile German ideas of humanity and Polish ideas of national sovereignty. But the pressure is growing. Because the 27 do not speak with one voice, Lukashenko found it easy to throw the EU off balance.
On Thursday there was a debate on the Commission’s proposal to temporarily restrict the rights of asylum seekers on the borders of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia with Belarus. Nothing was known about a common position. A few weeks ago the Commission granted the three countries increased funding for border management, but the question of whether the EU should also pay for walls and fences is still simmering. At the last EU summit so far, around 20 of the 27 heads of state or government were in favor, or at least they had nothing against it.
15 EU countries want to take in 40,000 more Afghans
After all, good news came out of the group with Minister Faeser on Thursday evening: In view of the dramatic situation after the Taliban came to power, Germany and 14 other EU countries apparently want to take in 40,000 particularly vulnerable people from Afghanistan in addition to their previous contingents. According to a letter from Migration Commissioner Ylva Johansson, Germany alone is ready to accept 25,000 additional people from Afghanistan.
The struggle over European migration policy will continue next Thursday. Then Olaf Scholz will walk the red carpet to his first European summit as Chancellor.