Germany’s New Border Restrictions Undermine The Very Essence Of The EU

-Analysis-

BRUSSELS – As of this week, border controls have been reinstated all throughout Germany. There is plenty of room for debate about their effectiveness and compatibility with European law. But there is one thing that cannot be disputed: Germany is taking a dangerous new path.

Many will dismiss this by pointing out that France, Greece and Italy themselves are also turning migrants away. But that’s not the point.

The German federal government is taking a step that no other EU country has taken before, at least not in this way, with the exception of Hungary, which is ruled by the authoritarian Viktor Orbán. And Germany is not any country, it is Europe’s largest country.

Maybe this will not look like a disruptive change, maybe the queues of cars trying to enter the country will not even be that long. Still, this does not mean that it won’t be relevant. Germany, which sees itself as a model of European cooperation for its neighbors to follow, has taken this step without ever seeking dialogue with its neighbors.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was extremely upset and called this decision “unacceptable.” Austrian Federal President Alexander van der Bellen put it more gently: “I was a little surprised at the somewhat improvised way in which Germany announced that it was changing its border regime.”

The so-called “traffic-light” coalition ruling Germany right now doesn’t even seem to think about its European allies all that much. And it is not the first time that this government has made sudden and far-reaching choices without even thinking about their consequences on Europe.

A reminder: at the beginning of October 2022, Chancellor Olaf Scholz appeared before the press and proudly announced his now infamous “double whammy.” It was a 200 billion euro program that the federal government launched to deal with the energy crisis. Scholz received plenty of praise inside Germany, but there was fierce criticism from other EU countries. Because the 200 billion euros gave the German economy an unfair, state-fund-induced advantage over its European competitors.

The double whammy was effectively anti-European. Later, the Federal Constitutional Court partially canceled the financing of the plan, but that does not alter the fact that this government doesn’t seem to care much about the affects of its policy on the rest of Europe.

These decisions are the result of a traditional form of German megalomania, based on the false belief that, since we have more money than anybody else, we are allowed to do whatever we want. What do you need Europe for, if you have a thick wallet?

Too many, too quickly

The new border controls are the panic response to a real problem: illegal immigration. It is also about how other European countries do not respect the so-called Dublin system, which clearly states that asylum applications must be submitted in the countries where the migrants first arrive. All too often, migrants arriving elsewhere are simply waved through to Germany.

The Dublin system is broken

Too many people are coming in, and too quickly. Often, the people who arrive are not the people who really need protection. This has been known for years, but for a long time anyone who mentioned the problem was suspected of right-wing extremism.

The Dublin system is not working. It is broken. This is why many people feel that politicians are unable to find solutions. Today, according to a survey commissioned by Die Zeit, 82% of Germans are in favor of restrictions on migration. Mind you, these are the same Germans who supported Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2015 when she made her famous declaration: “We can do this!”, when talking about welcoming a major wave of immigration at the time.

Back then Merkel was applauded in Germany, but not in Europe. In other countries of the European Union, people watched with a mixture of horror and astonishment as Germany celebrated its own generosity: they rightly recognized that Germany’s “Willkommenskultur” (welcoming culture) was probably going too far.

Giving in to nationalism

Supporters argue that the new border policy aims to trigger a domino effect that will ultimately lead to safer EU borders. However, this calculation does not take into account that the right-wing extremists that have been pushing for such policies are counting on a different kind of domino effect whose final aim is to destroy the EU entirely.

The Dutch government, led by right-wing extremist Geert Wilders, has already announced that it is considering withdrawing from the European asylum system. Other European governments could follow. We are potentially on the verge of a re-nationalization of European migration and asylum policy. This could cause permanent damage to the crown jewel of the EU: the European single market.

We are on the verge of a re-nationalization of European asylum policy

And all this is happening just a few months after the European Union agreed on a new Common European Asylum System (CEAS), after years of bitter disputes and heated debate. The CEAS is set to become effective in 2026: it is now unclear whether this reform will ever actually be implemented, since the system is based on rules that only work if everyone respects them.

Germany could have insisted that everyone abide by the agreed rules. But it didn’t do that: indeed, it was the first to break the rules. This fuels the suspicion that the government does not believe in what it signed for and that it does not trust its European partners.

The largest member state of the European Union is giving in to nationalism. This will not go unnoticed in Europe, and it certainly will not come without consequences.