Latest news with #Miersch
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tensions surface in German coalition over asylum-seeker ruling
Tensions are surfacing within Germany's conservative-led coalition government over migration, after a court ruling last week appeared to prohibit rejecting asylum seekers at the country's borders. The Berlin Administrative Court ruled on Monday that the summary rejection of three Somalis during a check on the border with Poland was unlawful. The urgent ruling meant that "there can no longer be blanket rejections because the courts will stop them," said Matthias Miersch, head of the parliamentary group of the Social Democrats (SPD), which is the junior member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition. Without clarification as to which EU state is responsible for the asylum application of those affected, they should not be turned away, according to the ruling. The court also said the government lacked evidence for its argument that it could reject asylum seekers on the grounds of public safety. The three Somalis are now back in Berlin. Miersch told the weekend edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper that the court's decision raised fundamental questions that the government should address. "The chancellor also stated this very clearly when he said that the practice must be reviewed again in light of this court decision," said Miersch. "And I expect this to happen now," he said, pointing to the possibility otherwise of more legal problems in the near future. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt introduced the more intensive border controls on May 7. He defended the policy again on Saturday, in remarks to the Funke media group of newspapers. "This is an individual judgement," said Dobrindt, referring to the court ruling. "We will provide sufficient justification, but the European Court of Justice should decide on this." The head of the Berlin Administrative Court, Erna Viktoria Xalter, said however that this would not prove successful. Speaking to news portal Zeit Online, she said: "How is this supposed to go through to the ECJ? The urgent decision is incontestable." Merz, who belongs to the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), recently said he would continue to refuse asylum seekers at the border even after the administrative court ruling.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Germany's Merz defends migration crackdown after court setback
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday defended his government's migration crackdown as vital to "protect public safety", a day after a court ruled one of its flagship measures was illegal. The Berlin court said Monday that German border officials cannot turn away asylum seekers before it was determined which country should process their cases under EU rules. The decision, in response to a challenge brought by three Somali nationals refused entry to Germany, dealt a blow to the crackdown Merz launched when he took power last month. But his government insists it is legal to continue turning away asylum seekers while it tries to challenge the ruling, and conservative leader Merz reiterated that stance. The court decision could "limit our room for manoeuvre a little", he acknowledged in a speech to a gathering of local government officials in Berlin. But he insisted the ruling was "preliminary", adding: "We know that we can continue with pushbacks." "We will do it to protect public safety and order in our country and to prevent cities and municipalities from becoming overwhelmed." He said the policy, which has caused tensions with some of Germany's neighbours, would be carried out "within the framework of existing European law". The measures were temporary until security at the European Union's external borders "is significantly improved", he stressed. While the court said the reasoning behind its ruling could be applied to other cases, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt argued the decision only directly affected the three individuals who brought the case. Merz's coalition partners from the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) called for the impact of the ruling to be examined in detail. While the ruling was not final it needed to be "taken very seriously", the SPD's parliamentary leader Matthias Miersch said at a press conference. "This must now be examined," Miersch said, agreeing with Merz that it had the potential to limit the government's ability to act. Miersch said it was vital to provide "legal certainty" for law enforcement in order for them to do their job well. "We cannot afford to let these issues play out at the expense of police officers," he said. Pushing back undocumented migrants at Germany's borders, including almost all asylum seekers, was one of Merz's key campaign pledges ahead of February elections. That vote saw the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) score its best-ever result of just over 20 percent, and Merz insists that action on migration is the only way to halt the party's growth. But Merz's junior coalition partners, the centre-left SPD, have been uneasy with the crackdown. sr-sea/jsk/rmb
France 24
03-06-2025
- Business
- France 24
Germany's Merz defends migration crackdown after court setback
The Berlin court said Monday that German border officials cannot turn away asylum seekers before it was determined which country should process their cases under EU rules. The decision, in response to a challenge brought by three Somali nationals refused entry to Germany, dealt a blow to the crackdown Merz launched when he took power last month. But his government insists it is legal to continue turning away asylum seekers while it tries to challenge the ruling, and conservative leader Merz reiterated that stance. The court decision could "limit our room for manoeuvre a little", he acknowledged in a speech to a gathering of local government officials in Berlin. But he insisted the ruling was "preliminary", adding: "We know that we can continue with pushbacks." "We will do it to protect public safety and order in our country and to prevent cities and municipalities from becoming overwhelmed." He said the policy, which has caused tensions with some of Germany's neighbours, would be carried out "within the framework of existing European law". The measures were temporary until security at the European Union's external borders "is significantly improved", he stressed. While the court said the reasoning behind its ruling could be applied to other cases, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt argued the decision only directly affected the three individuals who brought the case. Merz's coalition partners from the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) called for the impact of the ruling to be examined in detail. While the ruling was not final it needed to be "taken very seriously", the SPD's parliamentary leader Matthias Miersch said at a press conference. "This must now be examined," Miersch said, agreeing with Merz that it had the potential to limit the government's ability to act. Miersch said it was vital to provide "legal certainty" for law enforcement in order for them to do their job well. "We cannot afford to let these issues play out at the expense of police officers," he said. Pushing back undocumented migrants at Germany's borders, including almost all asylum seekers, was one of Merz's key campaign pledges ahead of February elections. That vote saw the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) score its best-ever result of just over 20 percent, and Merz insists that action on migration is the only way to halt the party's growth. But Merz's junior coalition partners, the centre-left SPD, have been uneasy with the crackdown.
Russia Today
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Intel reports will sober up incoming German chancellor on Ukraine missiles
Classified briefings would sway Germany's chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz from delivering Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, Matthias Miersch, the leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), has said. Berlin ruled out sending the long-range weapon system, which has a range of 500 kilometers, while the SPD was part of the ruling coalition. The party suffered a historic defeat to Friedrich Merz's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the February election. The conservatives and Social Democrats are currently in talks to form a new government. Speaking to the news channel n-tv on Wednesday, Miersch criticized Merz's readiness to deliver the Taurus and risk an open confrontation with Russia. 'We have always been against it,' Miersch said. 'I assume that Friedrich Merz, once fully informed by [intelligence] agencies, will reassess the issue clearly. We will then make the decision together,' he added. 'I assume that we do not want to contribute to an escalation or become a party to the war – the very reason we chose not to deliver the Taurus [to Ukraine]. And I assume it will remain that way,' Miersch said. Read more Medvedev brands incoming German chancellor a 'Nazi' Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, an SPD member, said earlier that there were 'many good arguments' against sending the missiles, and some of them cannot be discussed in public. Speaking to ARD on Sunday, Merz confirmed that he would like to supply the Taurus to Kiev. 'Yes, that was exactly what I meant – not that we would intervene in the war ourselves, but that we would be equipping the Ukrainian army with such a weapon.' He suggested that Kiev could use the missile to strike the long bridge connecting Crimea with mainland Russia. Roderich Kiesewetter, the CDU's defense spokesman, argued that the Taurus would help Ukraine 'destroy Russian supply lines and command bunkers.' The missile debate is unfolding as US President Donald Trump works to broker a Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire through shuttle diplomacy. Moscow has warned that no amount of Western arms deliveries would deter its troops but would increase the likelihood of a larger conflict. The Taurus would 'not bring any changes to the battlefield,' Russia's ambassador to Germany, Sergey Nechayev, said on Wednesday. The deliveries would, however, make Germany directly involved in the conflict, as 'Ukrainian soldiers … cannot operate the long-range weapon' without Berlin's help, Nechayev said.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Merz has 'clear mandate' after election, top Social Democrat says
German conservative leader Friedrich Merz has a "clear mandate" to lead the country's next government, a leading member of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) has said, after exit polls showed the centre-right bloc far ahead. SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch, speaking just after polls closed on Sunday evening, said it was "clear that there is now a mandate to govern for Friedrich Merz." Merz's CDU/CSU alliance was on 28.5% to 29%, with the SPD lagging in third place on 16% to 16.5%. But Miersch declined to say whether the SPD would be joining Merz as a coalition partner, saying a final decision on the matter will be up to SPD members. Miersch called the third-place result a "historic defeat." "This is a very bitter evening," Miersch told public broadcaster ZDF.
