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Local Germany
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
Law to end Germany's 'turbo naturalisations' moves forward
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt will present the first draft laws to limit migration and tighten Germany's naturalisation laws to the cabinet on Wednesday. A draft law which would repeal the three-year fast track to citizenship for well-integrated foreign residents is expected to pass. The conservative Union parties refer to the three-year citizenship process as "turbo naturalisations", and plan to ban them in the future. According to the draft law , its aim is to "strengthen the importance of lawfully completed residence in Germany as a central and essential prerequisite for naturalisation." The end of turbo citizenship The three-year track for naturalisation had been introduced last year as part of a sweeping reform of Germany's citizenship rules. READ ALSO: Requirements, costs and permits - 6 essential articles for German citizenship It enabled immigrants with at least C1 German and "special achievements" in work, education or society to apply for naturalisation after three years of residence in the country. However, in most cases foreign nationals needed to reside in the country on a valid residence permit for at least five years to be eligible to become a German citizen. That requirement would not be changed by the current draft law, but would become the norm, regardless of applicants' integration level. So the change effectively means that even exceptionally integrated immigrants will have to reside in Germany for at least five years before applying to naturalise in the future. Other basic requirements for naturalisation -- such as speaking B1 level German, passing a knowledge test and demonstrating the ability to support yourself financially -- would remain unchanged. According to information published by immigration lawyer Gökhan Akbaş , it's currently unknown if there will be a transition period during which fast track citizenship applications that have already been submitted can be approved. Akbaş suggests that applicants in this position may want to bring an action for failure to act ( Untätigkeitsklage ) to try and force a decision before the change is set. READ ALSO: Does hiring a lawyer speed up your German citizenship application? Advertisement Dual citizenship remains Germany's conservative parties -- the Christian Democrat Union and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) -- which now lead the federal government coalition, had previously campaigned on the intention to undo dual citizenship and other naturalisation reforms that had passed in 2024 by the former government. At the beginning of the year, when asked about dual citizenship, CDU leader and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, "We are bringing additional problems into the country." Taking their opposition to the citizenship reforms even further, members of the CSU in Bavaria had called for returning to an eight-year residence requirement . However, the Union parties have softened their tone since forming a coalition pact with the centre-left Social Democrat party (SPD). The SPD was the leading party of the former traffic light coalition government which brought the reforms which reduced the residence requirement for citizenship from eight years to five (and three in some cases). Now it appears that dual citizenship, and the possibility of naturalisation after five years, is set to remain under the current government. Advertisement 'Reducing the pull factors to Germany' Along with the end of 'turbo naturalisation', Interior Minister Dobrindt is set to introduce another draft law on Wednesday that would suspend family reunification for refugees. The SPD had agreed to both changes in their coalition negotiations. The suspension of family reunification affects people who do not receive asylum in Germany, but are still allowed to stay due to threats of political persecution, torture or the death penalty in their home countries. They would not be allowed to bring family members to Germany for two years, although hardship cases are exempt. Speaking to Bild Dobrindt said: "We have to significantly reduce the pull factors to Germany. This is another way to show that migration policy in Germany has changed." READ ALSO: Which breaches of German residency rules can result in fines or prison time? Germany's black-red coalition suggests it will work to ensure that Germany remains an attractive place for skilled worker immigrants, but critics suggest that it's anti-immigration policies are jeopardising the country's attractiveness for foreigners. The Green parties interior politician, Schahina Gambir, told DPA, "The new federal government is relying on symbolic politics at the expense of the policy is immoral, it drives a wedge into social cohesion." With reporting by DPA.
ITV News
06-05-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Friedrich Merz loses vote in parliament to become German Chancellor
Conservative leader Friedrich Merz's bid to become Germany's 10th chancellor since the Second World War failed in the first round of voting in parliament on Tuesday by six votes. The result is a major embarrassment for Merz who had been widely expected to win the vote. He needed a majority of 316 out of 630 votes in a secret ballot, but only received 310 votes. The parties will now regroup to discuss the next step, but it was not immediately clear how long the process could take. Merz's Christian Democrat Union party won Germany's election in February, winning the most seats in parliament with 28.5% of the vote. The Social Democratic Party (SPD), who were previously the largest party in the parliament, fell to their worst ever post-war result, finishing third with 16.4%. The far-right Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) finished second with 20.8% of the vote, their best ever result. Merz hopes to lead a coalition of the CDU and the SPD. But with just 52% of the seats, the coalition would hold one of Germany's smallest majorities in parliament since the Second World War. The lower house of parliament - called the Bundestag - has 14 days to elect a candidate with an absolute majority. If that also fails, the constitution allows for the president to appoint the candidate who wins the most votes as chancellor, or to dissolve the Bundestag and hold a new national election. Merz is seeking to take the helm of the 27-nation European Union' s most populous member after outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government collapsed last year. Germany has the continent's biggest economy and serves as a diplomatic heavyweight. Merz's portfolio would include the war in Ukraine and the Trump administration's trade policy on top of domestic issues, such as the stagnant economy and the rise of a far-right, anti-immigrant party . From Westminster to Washington DC - our political experts are across all the latest key talking points. Listen to the latest episode below...
Times
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Should the AfD be banned? Germany's dilemma after spy agency ruling
Friedrich Merz's expected confirmation as Germany's next leader this week will take place in the shadow of a row about whether to ban the rival far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party after it was formally classified as 'extremist' by the country's intelligence services. Merz, 69, a multimillionaire former corporate lawyer, is set to be elected as chancellor by parliament on Tuesday after his centre-right Christian Democrat Union (CDU) agreed on a 'grand coalition' with the Social Democrats following weeks of detailed negotiations. Among those present in the Bundestag to watch his coronation will be Angela Merkel, the former chancellor and erstwhile rival, who long manoeuvred behind the scenes to prevent him from securing the top job. • AfD designated as 'right-wing extremist' by German intelligence
Euronews
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
After Merz's victory, what to expect from Germany?
Despite the Christian Democrat Union (CDU) victory in the election, forming Germany's next coalition government will be challenging. What can we expect from the outcome? What alliances will Friedrich Merz, CDU leader, pursue? And can Germany reclaim the influence it has lost? Radio Schuman gathered reactions to the election results, and presents in-depth analysis of Germany's future, gleaned from Euronews' special Germany Decides panel hosted by Meabh McMahon last night. The discussion featured former European Council President Charles Michel, former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, and Euronews Editorial Director Claus Strunz
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Immigration and an ailing economy dominate Germany's election as far-right eye gains
BERLIN — German elections usually pride themselves on being reliably boring. Not so this time. The world's third largest economy goes to the polls Sunday under the shadow of unusually brusque interventions from the Trump administration in support of the anti-immigration far-right. Meanwhile a spate of high-profile attacks on Germany's streets, the latest coming Friday at Berlin's Holocaust memorial, have led to charged campaign debates on immigration. The favorite to become chancellor is Friedrich Merz, 69, the straight-laced, bespectacled leader of the center-right Christian Democrat Union, or CDU. He has questioned Germany's future relationship with the United States. 'I hope that it [the U.S] remains a democracy and does not slide into an authoritarian populist system,' Merz told a campaign event in Darmstadt on Thursday. 'But it may be that America will enter a longer period of instability and that this populism, this autocratic behaviour of the heads of state, will continue for a longer period of time.' At home, Merz wants to slash regulatory red tape and corporation tax, while tightening Germany's borders in what critics say is an attempt to ape his rivals on the hard-right. He is up against incumbent Olaf Scholz, 66, whose center-left Social Democratic Union, or SPD, has struggled to cope with the twin economic crises of pandemic fallout and war in Ukraine. But undoubtedly the big story is the Alternative for Germany, whose polling figures of 21% would double its support from the last election in 2021, and likely put it in second place. Led by Alice Weidel, 36, the far-right staunchly anti-immigration and anti-Muslim party is under surveilance for suspected extremism by the country's own domestic intelligence agency. Germany's proportional, multiparty system is designed to make it very difficult for one party to win outright, meaning they must work together and govern by coalition. The CDU leads the polls at 28%, SPD languishing at 16%. Robert Habeck, 55, heads the Greens, currently with 13%. Other parties, such as the socialist Die Linke and pro-business Free Democrats, will hope to achieve the 5% threshold needed to enter the Bundestag. Polling stations known as 'Wahllokale' will open at 8 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. local (2 a.m. — noon ET) on Sunday. Shortly afterward, an exit poll will drop that has historically given an accurate idea of the final results. Over the coming hours, overnight into Monday morning, the results themselves will trickle in. Most eyes will be on the AfD. Its rise is part of a Europe-wide trend alarming liberals and centrists, whereby once-fringe nationalist parties are making striding gains across the continent at the expense of the political establishment. 'We think it's unthinkable that fascism could return to Europe, but it has — it's here,' said Marina Weisband, a prominent activist, author and psychologist. 'The established parties have no answers,' added Weisband, founding director of Aula, a project to strengthen democracy education in German schools. 'What the parties in Germany mostly do is just keep the system running. But the system itself doesn't work that good anymore.' As with several of these nationalist European movements, the White House has established ties with the AfD, which has been endorsed by Trump adviser Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance. Andreas Busch, a professor of political science at the University of Göttingen, believes that as striking as these interventions have been, they have not boosted the AfD's domestic polling. 'It has not moved the needle one bit,' he said. 'They have slowly but surely crept up in the opinion polls,' he added. 'And that has been going on for a long time before Musk has said anything.' The AfD rejects labels such as far-right and fascist. 'It's bulls---,' Marc Bernhard, one of its lawmakers told NBC News at a rally in Karlsruhe this week. The White House and AfD leader Weidel did not respond to requests for comment on their relationship or policies and rhetoric of the party. The AfD's rise is particularly striking in Germany, a country so wary of its own Nazi past that it has laws and informal political pacts intended to stop fascism's return. One of these is the 'firewall' — an agreement by parties not to work with far-right parties such as the AfD. That's why it's unlikely the party will enter any coalition following the vote, even if it polls strongly. 'Nobody expects the AfD to form a government this election,' Busch said. 'So it's difficult to assess how seriously they should be taken.' These attempts to rein in the AfD has become a soapbox issue for AfD lawmakers, whose rousing cries that their freedom of speech is being restricted have been echoed by Musk and others. Potential coalition options include a CDU-Green alliance. Or even a so-called 'Grand Coalition' — or GroKo — between the CDU and SPD, the two historically largest parties right and left of center. Some see danger in this as it would anoint the AfD as the official opposition. These coalition talks can take months, and getting the wrong bedfellows can be costly. Scholz's 'traffic light coalition' with the Greens and Free Democrats was beset by infighting, finally imploding over a budget deficit argument in November, setting the stage for Sunday's snap poll. The idea of two rivals joining force might seem strange to polarized American ears, but the GroKo was repeatedly employed by the imperious Merkel during her 16 years in power, and typifies the kind of moderate consensus building that drives German politics The AfD would argue that it's exactly this kind of mainstream, establishment groupthink that got Germany and the West into the multiple crises of today. The country is undoubtedly at a low ebb. Once the industrial powerhouse of Europe, its economy sits on the brink of recession. It no longer enjoys cheap natural gas pumped into Europe by Russian President Vladimir Putin, with Western powers agreeing to stop drawing from the pariah's wellspring. And its former export market of China has become an economic competitor, challenging Germany's legacy auto industry with cheaper, great quality electric vehicles. Then there's the question of the United States, which for decades has underwritten Germany's military security by positioning American troops on German soil as a warning first to the Soviet Union and now Russia. That guarantee looks over in its current form, with President Donald Trump openly questioning the postwar security pact with NATO countries. Though a backseat military power since World War II, Germany has upped its military budget after years of failing to meet NATO's minimum guidelines. Still, many experts say that, as the world's third largest economy, it is still doing too little, and raising the defense budget further will put even more strain on its ailing economy. As Germany prepares to celebrate 70 years in the military alliance in May, Merz questioned Washington's future as its keystone member. 'Will the Americans still be there?' he told the Darmstadt event. 'Eight weeks ago I would not have dared to ask this question, but today we have to give an answer to it.' 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