SPD’s Martin Schulz outlines new vision for integration in Germany

August 15, 2017

Martin Schulz, who heads the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), laid out a new vision for Germany’s integration policy, a hot topic ahead of key federal elections slated for September.

During a lecture at the Berlin-based German Institute for Economic Research, Schulz lashed out at his rival German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s integration policy, saying debate around the subject should lead to more cohesion, not more division.

Read more: Germany’s oldest political party: the Social Democrat SPD

“We must ask what is wrong when young people, who are born here, cheer in our stadiums for a leader like Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan or succumb to the seductive extremist ideology of the so-called ‘Islamic State,'” Schulz said. “This should put us in a state of unrest.”

‘Fatal mistake’

Schulz criticized Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) for campaigning on a platform that mixes the debate on integration with security policy, calling it a “fatal mistake.” He also singled out Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere as the responsible minister for adopting such a “dangerous” position.

In the event of an electoral victory, Schulz said he would shift the responsibility of implementing the government’s immigration and integration policy from the interior ministry to the ministry of labor and social affairs and the ministry for family affairs, currently led by the SPD.

“We want to bundle the responsibility together and connect it with a strong ministry,” said Schulz.

How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

Fleeing war and poverty

In late 2014, with the war in Syria approaching its fourth year and Islamic State making gains in the north of the country, the exodus of Syrians intensified. At the same time, others were fleeing violence and poverty in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Niger and Kosovo.

How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

Seeking refuge over the border

Vast numbers of Syrian refugees had been gathering in border-town camps in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan since 2011. By 2015, with the camps full to bursting and residents often unable to find work or educate their children, more and more people decided to seek asylum further afield.

How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

A long journey on foot

In 2015 an estimated 1.5 million people made their way on foot from Greece towards western Europe via the “Balkan route”. The Schengen Agreement, which allows passport-free travel within much of the EU, was called into question as refugees headed towards the wealthier European nations.

How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

Desperate sea crossings

Tens of thousands of refugees were also attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean on overcrowded boats. In April 2015, 800 people of various nationalities drowned when a boat traveling from Libya capsized off the Italian coast. This was to be just one of many similar tragedies – by the end of the year, nearly 4,000 refugees were reported to have died attempting the crossing.

How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

Pressure on the borders

Countries along the EU’s external border struggled to cope with the sheer number of arrivals. Fences were erected in Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia and Austria. Asylum laws were tightened and several Schengen area countries introduced temporary border controls.

How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

Closing the open door

Critics of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s “open-door” refugee policy claimed it had made the situation worse by encouraging more people to embark on the dangerous journey to Europe. By September 2016, Germany had also introduced temporary checks on its border with Austria.

How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

Striking a deal with Turkey

In early 2016, the EU and Turkey signed an agreement under which refugees arriving in Greece could be sent back to Turkey. The deal has been criticised by human rights groups and came under new strain following a vote by the European Parliament in November to freeze talks on Turkey’s potential accession to the EU.

How did Europe’s refugee crisis start?

No end in sight

With anti-immigration sentiment in Europe growing, governments are still struggling to reach a consensus on how to handle the continuing refugee crisis. Attempts to introduce quotas for the distribution of refugees among EU member states have largely failed. Conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere show no signs coming to an end, and the death toll from refugee sea crossings is on the rise.

Author: Rachel Stewart

Managing a crisis

Since nominating Schulz as its candidate for the chancellery, the SPD has struggled to put forth a unique vision for immigration and integration policy in Germany. In February, the SPD’s parliamentary group chairman, Thomas Oppermann, spoke in favor of sending refugees arriving to Europe on boats back to North Africa, echoing similar remarks from the ruling CDU.

“In order to fight human trafficking gangs more successfully, we have to deprive them of the grounds on which they conduct their business by returning refugees saved in the Mediterranean to North Africa and attending to their needs there,” Oppermann wrote in an editorial published by the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Read more: Germany’s Angela Merkel wows voters on opponent’s home turf with predictability

More than one million migrants have entered Germany since the peak of the migration crisis in 2015, many of them fleeing war and extreme poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

The number of migrants entering the country has dropped significantly since the so-called Balkan route was closed, partly due to an EU deal with Turkey that allowed the repatriation of one migrant from the EU to Turkey in exchange for each Syrian refugee the bloc accepted from Turkish camps.

Since then, Germany has provided social welfare services to thousands of migrants, including housing, health care and education.

German election campaign placards

Christian Democratic Union (CDU)

After three terms in office, Chancellor Angela Merkel is no stranger to election posters. With a budget of 20 million euros, the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is pinning up some 22,000 placards across Germany. The use of a deconstructed German flag brings out the party’s patriotism, while the main focus of slogans is on issues such a security, family and work.

German election campaign placards

Social Democrats (SPD)

The Social Democrats are keeping it classic with their long-time red, square logo. Posters concentrate on topics such as education, family, pension, investment and wage inequality. At the end of their 24-million-euro campaign, the SPD is planning a final crusade ahead of election day, which still remains under wraps.

German election campaign placards

Free Democratic Party (FDP)

More than 5 million euros have been spent on the liberal FDP’s poster campaign. With their black and white photoshoot, the FDP have gone for thoroughly modern marketing, with one man at the center: Christian Lindner. Voters, however, will have a hard time reading the text heavy posters. “Impatience is also a virtue,” reads the slogan.

German election campaign placards

The Green Party

The Greens have remained faithful to their cause and focused on classic topics such as the environment, integration and peace. “Environment isn’t everything. But without the environment, everything is nothing,” says the slogan. A mainstay on all of the posters is the party’s sunflower logo.

German election campaign placards

Alternative for Germany (AfD)

The prize for most controversial placards goes, without doubt, to the right-wing AfD. From afar, the poster showing a smiling, pregnant woman seems innocent until the slogan becomes legible: “New Germans? We make them ourselves.” In another poster, set against the background image of three bikini-clad women, the AfD asks: “Burkas? We like bikinis.”

German election campaign placards

The Left Party

The Left party have certainly given their best to use as many fonts as possible. In a combination of font and wordplay, this slogan one reads: “[Colorful] People. Decisively against right-wing hate.” Affordable rents, fairer pensions and an end to arms exports are the main issues for the leftist party.

Author: Kate Brady