Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU discusses migration policies with CDU

Leaders of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) met with their counterparts in the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) in Berlin on Sunday, discussing a common strategy on migration. Following the September election the two allies are building a coalition with other parties for a fourth term in power.

The CSU has repeatedly bumped heads with the chancellor on migration policy, demanding a limit of 200,000 migrants and refugees per year. 

Merkel has long rejected the proposal of CSU leader Horst Seehofer as unconstitutional.

The migrant issue helped fuel the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which placed third in last month’s election after it poached votes from the CSU and CDU. 

Sunday’s 10-hour marathon talks were reported late in the evening to have led to an agreement in principle on migration and refugee policy. A formal statement is expected mid day on Monday. 

Chancellor Merkel spoke to the CDU youth wing at the weekend

Start of a migration law?

DW’s Rupert Wiederwald said the compromise could be the “beginning of a migration law,” something that could get the support of the Greens and Free Democrats (FDP) as Merkel heads into coalition building talks with the two parties.

According to a text shared with the DPA news agency, the CDU and CSU aim to limit the number of migrants entering Germany to 200,000 per year. However, there is no reference to a “cap” on migration and it would not touch the fundamental right to political asylum. There is expected to be a distinction made between political refugees and economic migrants.

The CDU and CSU are believed to be proposing to limit migration numbers by protecting the EU’s external borders, sending back migrants to their home countries if they don’t qualify for asylum, and working with transit and source countries of migrants. A law for entry of skilled migrants is also expected. 

Chancellor Angela Merkel arriving for talks with sister party CSU in Berlin

‘Conservative is sexy again’

Ahead of the discussions on Sunday, the CSU had published a 10-point summary of their demands to present to Merkel with a focus on patriotism, promoting a “guiding culture” of German values in Germany, and fighting the right-wing, populist Alternative for Germany (AfD):

“We must fight the AfD head-on — and fight to get their voters back,” according to the text published in mass-circulation tabloid Bild am Sonntag, which suggested that “conservatism is sexy again.”

The AfD, which was founded only four years ago, managed to win over 12 percent of the votein September. Much of their success came at the expense of mainstream conservatives. It is the first time in more than 50 years that a far-right party has held seats in Germany’s legislature.

Read more: Schäuble confident Merkel will achieve ‘Jamaica coalition’

The Social Democratic Party (SPD), the leading left-of-center party that was a junior member of the outgoing government suffered considerable loses in last month’s election and has opted to go into opposition.

Deep into the night

The CSU needs to be on board before Merkel can pursue coalition talks with the pro-business FDP and the left-wing Greens.

The differences in policies and outlook across the parties is expected to mean months of negotiations before a new government is formed, but there is also pressure to speed up the process. With Germany serving as the EU’s economic engine, a prolonged political battle could have economic implications that ripple beyond the country’s borders.

“We must form a government quickly. This is about more than just us,” Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, from Merkel’s CDU party, said Saturday.

cw/jm (AFP, Reuters, dpa)

Article source: http://www.dw.com/en/chancellor-angela-merkel-s-cdu-discusses-migration-policies-with-cdu/a-40866660?maca=en-rss-en-ger-1023-xml-atom