General Debate in the Federal Parliament: Self-praise and blame

Officially, the full debate in the Bundestag on Wednesday was scheduled to be about the 2025 budget. The four-day budget debate began with the government and opposition engaging in a routine sparring match. In fact, there was really only one topic: the previous day’s failure of talks between the federal government, the federation and the states on migration. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) accused CDU leader Friedrich Merz of instigating the end of the meeting late Tuesday afternoon. He dismissed the accusation as “notorious.”

On Tuesday, the federation agreed to join the second round of migration talks. But the representatives called off the talks relatively shortly after and declared them a failure. Merz said the Traffic Light coalition was not in a position to comprehensively reject refugees at state borders, as the coalition had previously demanded.

In the general debate, Scholz sharply criticized this behavior, which he considered an emotional speech. Merz shouted, “You hit the bushes!” The SPD accused the CDU and CSU of “talking slogans” and “theatrical performances” on immigration policy. Scholz directly addressed the CDU leader: “You are the type of politician who believes that in a CDU interview. Sunday Photos He would have already resolved the migration issue,” the prime minister said, offering the coalition to continue talks, adding that “the door is not closed.”

Scholz claimed that the Traffic Light Coalition had achieved “the greatest turning point in tackling illegal immigration.” Among other things, he mentioned accelerated deportations and the federal government’s “security package” that will be discussed for the first time in the Bundestag this Thursday. At the same time, the speaker stressed the need for immigration. “No country in the world has experienced economic growth while its workforce is shrinking,” he said. Cosmopolitanism is necessary, but it does not mean “anyone who wants to can come.”

Alexander Dobrindt, the CSU regional group leader, surprisingly started the discussion. Merz had clearly given Scholz priority to talk to and react to. Dobrindt accused the traffic light government of threatening social peace in Germany with its immigration policy. Not allowing a blanket rejection of asylum seekers at the border, Dobrindt argued, was “a capitulation to the excessive demands on the security situation in our communities, our schools and our country.”

Merz said he was not interested in further discussions on asylum policy. The end of the negotiations was not orchestrated by him. Rather, the government’s proposals on the table during the discussions were inadequate. So the union left the meeting. The CDU leader stressed that all asylum seekers should be temporarily rejected at the border. A comprehensive rejection is legally possible and practically necessary, Merz explained.

Rolf Mützenich, the leader of the SPD parliamentary group, described the end of the migration talks as a “tragedy.” By doing so, Merz was harming democracy and “perhaps even himself.” Mützenich stressed that the federal government could make “responsible” decisions without federal support. It is generally a mistake to believe that there are simple, “quick and consistent” answers to today’s big questions.

Heidi Reichennek, co-chair of the Die Linke group, criticized the focus of the debate on the migration issue. “We need to talk about it. But don’t act like this is the only problem our country is facing right now,” she said. Reichennek accused the government of not having solutions for problems like rents, clinics and job security. Sahra Wagenknecht, co-chair of the BSW group, also attacked the Traffic Light Alliance. “This is making people despair of democracy.” Wagenknecht criticized the plan to station US missiles in Germany and accused the Scholz government of being a threat to Germany’s democracy, prosperity, security and peace.

FDP leader Christian Lindner called for a new attempt at a summit. Merz should negotiate privately with Scholz, Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Alliance 90/The Greens) and himself, Lindner wrote.

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