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After the issue of immigration threatened to break the German government coalition – which was avoided after intense negotiations between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its traditional allies of the 39; Christian Social Union (CSU) -, Chancellor Angela Merkel the government's position on the issue in the Bundestag (German parliament) on Wednesday (04/07).
Merkel addressed a debate on the federal budget. Budget discussions are often an opportunity for the government to justify its policies, with direct opposition to them. This time, immigration has taken on importance.
On Monday, Merkel and his Minister of the Interior and head of the CSU, Horst Seehofer, concluded an agreement Monday that refugees already registered in other European countries are not welcomed by the EU. # 39; Germany.
Two days after the CDU-CSU pact and in the middle of new tensions provoked by the resistance to the government's plan of immigration by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) – a third member of the ruling coalition – Merkel went out to defend the policies adopted by his government, declaring that the future of his country is linked to that of Europe.
that the way the European Union (EU) deals with immigration will be crucial for the survival of the bloc.
"There must be more organization in all forms of migration so that people have the feeling that law and order are being applied," he said.
At a European summit in Brussels last week, leaders of bloc countries engaged in extensive discussions on migration and, despite the different interests at stake, agreed that no member state would should be alone in the face of the problem. "It's a task for everyone," Merkel told the Bundestag
. The Chancellor has not hesitated to ask a central question about the recent confrontation with Seehofer, which nearly caused the dissolution of the ruling coalition. In a nod to her partners in the conservative Bavarian acronym, she said that the movement of migrants between European countries should be controlled.
"It is not possible for refugees themselves to decide where their asylum applications will be processed." an agreement with Greece, which will allow Germany to return migrants to the Mediterranean.
Resistance of the Social Democrats
The implementation of the decision agreed between the CDU and the CSU still depends on the third member of the coalition, the SPD, which has already expressed its reservations about the Seehofer and Merkel plan, particularly with regard to the creation of transit centers for migrants at the border
By 2015, at the height of the refugee crisis, the SPD had already clearly rejected the creation of so-called transit zones for refugees on the borders of Germany – and had been able to impose his point of view by arguing that mass detention centers were being created
. The same idea is now considered provocative by the social democrats. They argue that the CDU and CSU would divert attention from their own internal conflicts by provoking a disagreement with the SPD, which, to stay in the government, should accept something that it actually rejects. And if the government collapses, it will be blamed on the SPD, which, to further aggravate their situation, does not even reach 20% of the votes in the current polls.
Trump Alert
In the Bundestag, Ms. Merkel also discussed the trade tensions between Europe and the United States. She warned US President Donald Trump that her threat of raising tariffs on European auto imports into the United States could actually result in a trade war.
The Federal Chancellor pointed out that the two sides are already "trade dispute", which stems from Trump's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum European, causing a similar reaction from Brussels.
Americans claim that the EU and especially Germany have significant trade surpluses with the USA.
"If we include services like digital services, we will have a completely different trade balance vis-à-vis the United States, showing an American surplus," says Merkel, because it is based solely on goods, off services. in relation to the EU, "he noted, adding that" it is almost old-fashioned to calculate only goods and not to include services. "
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They challenged Merkel – or at least they tried
Helmut Kohl, former mentor
What do these eyes say? Gratitude? Affection? Or a feeling of "I will never forgive you! "In the middle of box 2 of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in 1999, the then Secretary General, Ms. Merkel, urged the party to" join the struggle even without its former Warlord. "This sealed the political end of the honorary then president of the CDU and Merkel's political mentor, Helmut Kohl, here at the 2012 meeting.
