Ten years after former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s widely recognized statement “We can do it” during the 2015 refugee crisis, a leading figure within the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has offered a critical assessment of integration outcomes.
Carsten Linnemann, the CDU’s General Secretary, stated in an interview that, since 2015, 6.5 million people have arrived in Germany, yet less than half are currently employed. He described this statistic as unsatisfactory and indicated a need for a revised approach from the current federal government.
Linnemann emphasized the importance of curbing irregular migration into social welfare systems while simultaneously promoting regulated immigration geared towards filling labor market demands. He posited this as the essential policy direction for 2025 and beyond, suggesting it should guide political strategy in the coming years.
Merkel originally delivered the phrase “We can do it” on August 31, 2015, during a summer press conference. The context was the influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees, particularly from Syria. Her complete statement at the time emphasized Germany’s strength and resolve to address the challenges, committing the federal government, in cooperation with regional and local authorities, to ensuring successful integration.