Antecedentes del Lugar de Estudio-Campo Palo Azul

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has managed to maintain the unity of the European Union in regard to the sanctions imposed against Russia in 2014, as well as the unity of the Eurozone during the Greek financial crisis, but that success was not repeated in regard to the migrant crisis. Germany is expected to take leadership in solving the issue, but few European countries are ready to follow it on this venture. It is estimated that Germany will accept between 800,000 and 1 million asylum seekers this year, and Angela Merkel claims that Germany can handle such a large number. The German chancellor has taken a firm stance on an issue that

Member States have been arguing about for a long time, and populists, who would separate countries with walls, feed on. Visionary words cannot be heard from politicos, but solely from statesmen. Angela Merkel has very directly stated: “If Europe fails on the question of refugees, its close connection with universal civil rights will be destroyed.” Attempts to show the European Union as a moral enterprise are exposed to mockery and disdain, but it is encouraging that someone has finally taken a strong ethical stance instead of continuing to indulge in demagoguery.

When compared to other countries, some Balkan states, like Serbia showed that they were ready for a constructive approach to the problem, even though they are not members of the European Union, and showed greater openness than some countries that are by definition considered “more European” just by being official members of the EU.

A few days after seventy-one lifeless bodies were found in a truck in Austria, the European public became alarmed and the chancellor sent an important message. Angela Merkel took the initiative and announced that all Syrian refugees have the right to apply for asylum in Germany. With this unilateral decision, Germany ignored the provisions of the Dublin agreement, according to which refugees must seek asylum in the first EU country of entry. Angela Merkel sent a timely message stating that we must suppress our most basic instincts, reminding Europe that it was built on certain values, including the “never again” imperative which was an answer to the thirties, when many declined to provide shelter for Jewish refugees from Austria and Germany. Many will see other reasons for why Germany is prepared to accept refugees, such as the age of the population for example, which highlights the benefits of immigrant settlement.

Many people are occupied with the impact of migration on Germany, and the consequences it could have on their national and cultural identity. Some Germans fear job losses and pay cuts due to the influx of refugees into the country. Many are afraid of change, but what they should be afraid of is not a future with migrants – but one without them. The German President, Joachim Gauck, is right to remind us of the fall of the Berlin Wall: “Just like in 1990, we are facing a challenge that will occupy us for generations.” The figures are stark: Germany today has 45 million people of working age. Without immigration, by the year 2050 that number will be 29 million. Unemployment in Germany, with a population of 82 million, is at its lowest point in the past 30 years and stands at 4.6%, with almost 597,000 jobs available in healthcare, engineering, carpentry, fast food restaurants, etc. Although Germany has temporarily strengthened border control in the south to stop the influx of asylum seekers, the government in Berlin is determined to assimilate all those allowed entry into the country. The idea is to prevent around 1,000,000 refugees who are expected to arrive by the end of 2015 from becoming wards of the state, and instead to allow for their faster integration into society and create favourable

conditions for the national economy through their employment. In fact, Germany not only has enough jobs for newcomers, but it is also faced with pension and healthcare costs due to an aging population. Syrian refugees are mostly educated people whose skills can help reduce the pressure on the labour market.

Despite the aforementioned figures, the situation in Germany regarding the refugees is quite complex. Provinces and communities are battling with overflowing refugee centres and a lack of money, there is disagreement among politicians within parties, right- wingers, according to polls, are progressing, while extreme rightists and neo-Nazis are on the attack. According to polls, Angela Merkel’s popularity is at its lowest point in the past two years. Merkel’s policies during the refugee crisis, which Hungarian President,

To achieve long-term stability, Europe needs an engine and an important part of the whole mechanism that has been running it for decades: a German- French partnership and British enthusiasm. But, to achieve long-term stability and at the same time strengthen Europe’s capacities to respond to strategic challenges in future decades, it is necessary to integrate the Balkan countries and take maximum advantage of their potential.

Victor Orban, described as moral imperialism, have been received negatively by many associates and coalition partners of the German chancellor, such as the Minister-President of Bavaria and chairman of the CSU Horst Seehofer, who threatened to file a lawsuit before the Constitutional Court; as well as the Minister of Finance Wolfgang Schäuble and the Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maizière.

The pressure on Merkel after the Paris terrorist attacks certainly will not be reduced. The question is now whether Berlin will make a drastic shift in their refugee policy. The German chancellor stated the day after the Paris attacks, that she still is not ready to unilaterally define upper limits regarding the number of refugees that can enter Germany, even though there is political pressure in the country to reduce the influx of migrants. Merkel stated for the German television channel ZDF that the only way to reduce the number of refugees is by solving the problems that are driving these people to Europe, and “they (the problems) are outside of Germany”. Her observation that Europe needs to unite around unavoidable strategic issues, since it is simultaneously faced with too many dangerous crises, is correct. There are too many crises, even for Germany.

Everybody is looking towards Berlin, and Berlin itself needs more assistance. To achieve long-term stability, Europe needs an engine and an important part of the whole mechanism that has been running it for decades: a German-French partnership and British enthusiasm. But, to achieve long-term stability and at the same time strengthen Europe’s capacities to respond to strategic challenges in future decades, it is necessary to integrate the Balkan countries and take maximum advantage of their potential. Cooperation between Germany and Serbia in this regard is a logical imperative, and creates additional space for the improvement in relations.

the false asylum seeker factor and its influence on germany’s