A recent announcement by CDU candidate Friedrich Merz, who plans to introduce permanent controls at Germany’s borders in the event of a election victory, has sparked criticism.
The economic damage from border closures could be “even greater than the harm caused by Donald Trump’s tariffs on German exports”said Marcel Fratzscher, president of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), in an interview with the Handelsblatt.
Behind this concern lies the fear that border controls could imperil supply chains and hinder production, thereby severely affecting the economy, Fratzscher warns. Moreover, a tightening of the labor market could lead to additional burdens, as many people commuted to work across the border. “The last thing the German economy needs is a short-sighted policy that tries to score points in the Bundestags election campaign at the expense of companies and citizens”the DIW chief said.
The president of the German Association of Wholesale, Retail and Foreign Trade (BGA), Dirk Jandura, also views Merz’s plans critically. “Restrictions on the freedom of movement, as announced by Friedrich Merz, could lead to delays and thus increased costs for the big and foreign trade”Jandura told the Handelsblatt. On the other hand, the BGA president also showed understanding for the considerations. “The protection of human life always takes precedence over economic interests.”
The Speyer constitutional law expert Joachim Wieland warned of a legal breach with regard to Merz’s planned “effective entry ban”for individuals with a right to asylum. Such a ban would not be in line with the German fundamental right to asylum nor with the Geneva Refugee Convention, Wieland said in an interview with the Handelsblatt. “The rule of law does not permit simply overriding legal norms, but rather requires their amendment if necessary.