The two parties who will likely form Germany’s next government, the Christian Democrats (CDU and CSU) along with the Social Democrats (SPD), have agreed to a stricter immigration policy, mostly in an attempt to head off the growing popularity of the Alternative for Germany (AfD).
According to Hungarian news outlet Hirado, some of the measures include the following,:
- A significant increase in detention capacity for migrants awaiting deportation,
- Suspending the family reunification program for migrants for two years,
- Expanding the list of safe countries to include Algeria, India, Morocco and Tunisia – under which immigrants can also be deported to these countries,
- Introducing new legislation related to the deportation of migrants facing prison sentences,
- The abolition of mandatory legal assistance before deportation.
The deal would mark Germany’s strictest migration policy in decades. The AfD, led by Alice Weidel, not only came in second place during the Feb. 23 election but the party’s popularity has only risen since then, polling at 24 percent in the latest YouGov poll this week. The AfD is also expected to ramp up the pressure on the CDU and SPD as the largest opposition party in parliament.
However, there is still no agreement on some issues of migration policy. The SPD has so far rejected the CDU’s demand to set up centers abroad responsible for processing asylum applications and returning migrants.
Notably, the SPD and CDU will fall far short of what the AfD is pursuing, which would be remigration efforts and a complete closure of the borders, which the SPD and CDU have both said will not happen. In addition, the AfD wants a complete moratorium on all immigration for five years.
The CDU had also come out against the relaxation of naturalization laws passed during the previous government; however, no efforts will be made to amend that law, which means more and more foreigners will be set to be naturalized in the coming years. Many of these voters will choose to vote for the left.
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) February 24, 2025
Is this the quickest U-turn in political history?
After the CDU campaigned on strict immigration measures to take votes away from the AfD, chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz told a press conference the day after the election that "none of us want to close the borders."… pic.twitter.com/Ngxt98ag3r
Aside from migration, the two parties have not yet reached an agreement on defense spending.
The CDU would radically increase Germany’s military investment to 3.5 percent of GDP – well above NATO’s 2 percent target – thereby elevating Germany to one of the world’s leading military powers, with a significant impact on European defense.
While the SPD acknowledges that the country’s armed forces need to be strengthened, it does not want to go that far.
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) February 24, 2025
AfD's Alice Weidel issues a stark warning to Friedrich Merz:
"If the CDU commits electoral fraud against its own voters by forming a coalition with the left, the next election will come sooner than you think.
Then, we will overtake the CDU as the strongest force!" pic.twitter.com/qJ4PRki24F
As U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to weaken Europe’s defenses, Merz’s party is pushing for the reinstatement of compulsory military service. The Social Democrats would keep it voluntary at this stage. Germany abolished compulsory military service for men in 2011.
The drafts come from cross-party working groups that focus on specific policy areas. The groups had until Monday to submit their drafts, after which party leaders will begin final negotiations to forge a unified coalition agreement. Both parties have previously said publicly that they want to conclude the talks by Easter, but have since become less ambitious, stressing that substance is more important than speed.
