A day of drama in the Bundestag
Friedrich Merz, Germany’s probable next chancellor, takes a huge bet and triggers uproar
RARELY HAS the Bundestag known such drama. On January 29th, to scenes of uproar, a tiny majority of German mps backed a five-point plan to curb irregular immigration. The non-binding motion was introduced by Friedrich Merz, head of the centre-right Christian Democrats (cdu) and the favourite to take over as chancellor after the election on February 23rd. Among other matters, it proposed permanent controls on Germany’s borders and a “de facto entry ban”: the rejection of any immigrants lacking papers, including asylum-seekers.
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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Merz’s migration gamble”
Europe February 1st 2025
- Inside Europe, border checks are creeping back
- A day of drama in the Bundestag
- The EU is worried about sensitive exports to competitors and foes
- Amid talk of a ceasefire, Ukraine’s front line is crumbling
- The French government’s survival is now in Socialist hands
- Meet Europe’s Gaullists, Atlanticists, denialists and Putinists
From the February 1st 2025 edition
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Meet Europe’s Gaullists, Atlanticists, denialists and Putinists
As Donald Trump returns, so do Europe’s old schisms over how to defend itself
Inside Europe, border checks are creeping back
Voters and politicians are worried about unauthorised migrants
The EU is worried about sensitive exports to competitors and foes
A lot of bureaucracy will ensue
Amid talk of a ceasefire, Ukraine’s front line is crumbling
An ominous defeat in the eastern town of Velyka Novosilka
The French government’s survival is now in Socialist hands
Moderates attempt to move away from the radicals
Germans are growing cold on the debt brake
Expect changes after the election