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Der Spiegel: In a significant policy shift, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has taken a harder line on immigration issues following poor electoral results for his Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Hessen and Bayern. Scholz articulated concerns about the high number of irregular migrants coming to Germany and Europe and emphasized the need to reduce these numbers. This pivot in stance appears to be an attempt to address criticisms of his leadership and improve his party’s standing with the public.
Scholz’s new approach includes proposals to expedite deportations and stronger collaboration with coalition partners. He has spent considerable time discussing the issue with Deputy Chancellor Robert Habeck and Finance Minister Christian Lindner, arriving at a consensus on the need for prompt action on migration matters. A package of measures has been introduced that could slightly increase the number of deportations but may not substantially reduce the inflow of asylum seekers.
The chancellor’s decision to focus on the topic now marks a departure from his previous avoidance of the migration debate, and could be a reaction to internal party feedback and poor electoral performances. Scholz has started a project aimed at reelection, and his future success largely depends on the cooperation of his coalition partners, the Greens and the FDP, both of which are going through their own electoral reckonings.
The entire article can be read at the link https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/olaf-scholz-und-die-migration-ploetzlich-gibt-der-kanzler-den-eisernen-olaf-a-c88c814d-1035-425d-8a18-dbf71777d62d
