Latest news with #AngelaMerkel
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Importing crime: Angela Merkel started the EU's migrant crisis, and she wants it to continue
The former chancellor is back in the news, lecturing her fellow citizens to allow more asylum seekers into their country even as Germany is plagued by rampant crime and dismal economic factors. If it is true that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results, then we can say with some degree of certainty that Angela Merkel is suffering severely on the mental front. The four-term leader of the Christian Democratic Union (2005-2021) has gone down in the history books as the person most responsible for the greatest upheaval of German society in modern times, and she shows no sign of letting up. Without ever asking the German electorate what they wanted, Merkel in 2015 opened her country's borders to over one million illegal immigrants, while holding out cash incentives and other handsome benefits for those who made the difficult journey. Merkel was of the opinion that Germany had the economic strength to handle the influx of migrants and reiterated that there was no legal maximum limit on the number of migrants the country could take. Unfortunately, she was seriously mistaken. And her views on the matter – despite serious cultural, societal and political repercussions – have not changed. During this week's presentation of her memoir, 'Freedom,' Merkel, 70, spoke out on migration, warning that without it 'we could see Europe destroyed.' 'I do not believe we can decisively combat illegal migration at the German-Austrian or German-Polish border… I have always advocated European solutions,' Merkel said when asked about the latest measures adopted by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who faces an uphill battle in the Bundestag, the federal parliament, to incorporate more anti-immigration policies. As for Merkel the diehard globalist, who once lamented the failure of multiculturalism, she fails to understand that the German people are desperately holding out hope for a real change of political course. The fact is Germany is no longer a safe place to do simple everyday things, like take a casual stroll down the street or to raise a family, without an unhealthy degree of fear and apprehension. That is because an entirely new phenomenon of knife attacks is now plaguing the streets of every German city as the migration crisis has spiraled into a crime crisis. Statistics show that such heinous criminal acts, overwhelmingly committed by individuals of foreign origin, are getting worse, with a shocking 79 knife attacks per day on average now recorded, according to some German media. Last year, there were 29,014 cases involving a crime where a knife was used, of which, 15,741 were knife attacks. Physical harm involving a knife surged by 10.8 percent in 2024 compared to 2023. Here is just a glimpse of the recent violence that has plagued Germany. In January, a two-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man were killed in a stabbing in a park in Aschaffenburg, with several others wounded. One month later, a Spanish tourist was stabbed at Berlin's Holocaust Memorial. This month, a 35-year-old Syrian asylum seeker stabbed five youths in an unprovoked knife attack outside a popular student bar in Bielefeld, Germany. Not all of the migrant violence was the result of a knife attack. Last December, six people were killed and hundreds were injured after a car plowed into a crowd at a Christmas market in the eastern city of Magdeburg. Such indiscriminate attacks must be taking a heavy toll on the German psyche. Meanwhile, other statistics reveal the state of mind of the average German voter and the real consequences of Merkel's reckless policies. Die Welt has reported, citing a new survey by YouGov, that 31% of those surveyed said they would 'definitely' move abroad if they were entirely free to choose. Another 27% of respondents said they would 'probably' leave. Within this group, 61% identified the country's immigrant situation as a major factor influencing their decision, while 41% cited Germany's ongoing economic recession. Speaking of the economy, Merkel's continual promotion of open borders is coming at a time when Germany has been enduring its longest phase of economic stagnation in post-war history. The country's struggling economy shrank for a second year in a row in 2024, as gross domestic product (GDP) declined by 0.2% compared to the previous year. Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank, has lowered its forecast for the economy and only expects very modest growth of 0.2% for 2025. In other words, it may be simply asking too much of the German people to continue supporting asylum seekers at a time when so many are feeling the sting of economic uncertainty. For many Germans, their only hope is for a major change in the political landscape. Thus, many citizens have thrown their support behind the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), the biggest opposition party, which came in second in the February general election with just over 20% of the vote. That was the best national result for a hard-right party in Germany since the Second World War, and despite being designated as an 'extremist' organization by Germany's domestic intelligence service. US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, described the ruling as 'tyranny in disguise'. Posting on social media, Rubio said: 'What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD – which took second in the recent election – but rather the establishment's deadly open border immigration policies.' Angela Merkel would do well to heed the opinion of the average German voter, who seems to be running out of patience, and support a pause in the influx of asylum seekers at this dangerous juncture.
Nikkei Asia
5 days ago
- Business
- Nikkei Asia
Multilateralism is the only way to solve the world's problems, Merkel says
TOKYO -- International challenges "can be solved only through multilateralism," former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday, sharing her thoughts on U.S. President Donald Trump and on Russia's war in Ukraine. Asked how to deal with Trump, who has threatened the European Union with high tariffs, she said in an exclusive Nikkei Live interview that "you mustn't be afraid."
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ex-German Chancellor warns Europe of destruction over Merz's migration policies: ‘We can't…'
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has issued a chilling warning: Europe could be destroyed if national migration and border control policies tighten further. Merkel criticises Germany's new asylum rules, stressing that only EU-wide solutions can protect freedom of movement and the Schengen zone. Merkel's stark prediction highlights the risks to European unity and stability. Discover what's at stake for the EU, the impact on migration policy, and why Merkel believes unilateral action threatens Europe's future.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Germany to suspend asylum seekers' rights to bring family members
Germany is to suspend family reunification rights for asylum seekers, its government has announced. The policy, in place since 2018, has allowed 1,000 people a month to follow their relatives into the country. Its suspension represents the latest move by the coalition government to restrict migration in response to the surging popularity of the far-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. 'We have to significantly reduce the pull factors to Germany. This also shows that the migration policy in Germany has changed,' said Alexander Dobrindt, the interior minister of the Christian Social Union (CSU) party. Asylum seekers had been able to bring their partners and children to Germany if they were from conflict regions, before their applications were officially granted. Last year, figures showed there were more than 350,000 people in Germany who had not been granted full asylum and could be eligible for family reunification, with Syria and Afghanistan the most common countries of origin. The suspension of family reunification rights aims to save €12 million a year, mostly from fees for integration language courses. Germany has long been wrestling with the consequences of Angela Merkel's 2015 decision to allow in more than a million refugees, mostly from the Middle East. Meanwhile, the AfD has risen to become the country's second political force and the most popular party in some polls. 'Intensified' border controls Friedrich Merz, the chancellor and long-term rival of Ms Merkel, was elected on a promise of a drastic 'turnaround' on migration policies. He even broke a long-standing German political taboo to vote alongside the AfD in January on a plan to reduce migration following several terrorist attacks suspected to have been committed by former asylum seekers. Since the new Government took office, Germany has intensified border controls and turned back irregular migrants at its borders, despite the move being legally questionable under the European Union's Dublin agreement. Mr Dobrindt said current figures showed that 'the intensified border controls are working,' with almost 1,700 people turned back in two weeks. However, the measures have caused conflict with Germany's neighbours. Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, warned that he would be 'ready to close the border' using an emergency EU security treaty 'if you send migrants to us'. Switzerland has also claimed that the pushbacks are illegal. Meanwhile, Ms Merkel made a rare political intervention during an event in Ulm to condemn the border controls. She said: 'This will cost us Schengen if it becomes permanent… We have to focus on the EU's external borders'. However, Ms Merkel admitted: 'I have always advocated European solutions, and the truth is that it takes forever and a very long time.'
New York Times
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
At an Uncertain Moment for Germany, Suddenly Boring Doesn't Look So Bad
Bielefeld, Germany, a modest city of 338,000 people, is in every way typical of a well-off German town, with an opera house, a castle and a tidy historic district. In fact, the city is so impossibly bland, according to a well-worn gag, it can't possibly be real; all evidence to the contrary must be part of a giant conspiracy. 'Have you ever been to Bielefeld?' the joke goes. 'Can you name one thing about Bielefeld?' The answer, of course, is no. Even Angela Merkel, the former chancellor, piled on, saying in 2012 that she had given a speech in the city, 'if it even exists.' Bielefeld has gamely played along, even working the teasing into its marketing. But it clearly irks local residents. 'Everyone laughs at us, because of this joke,' said Timo Teichler, the morning host on Radio Bielefeld. 'Yeah, 'Bielefeld doesn't exist.' I hate that joke.' 100 miles Poland Netherlands Berlin Bielefeld North Rhine- Westphalia Czech Republic Germany France Austria By The New York Times Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
