The head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, has sharply criticized the migration plans of the CDU’s chancellor candidate, Friedrich Merz. “We must learn from Germany’s history, that we need to solve our challenges in a European manner” Heusgen told the online news portal “T-Online” on Thursday.
“We must also respect and, if necessary, develop European law. We cannot disregard it, that would be the beginning of the end of Europe” he cautioned.
Heusgen, a CDU member himself, noted that his party’s name includes the word “Christian.” “Given our history and the Christian name of our party, I believe it is important to grant asylum to people persecuted on the basis of political, religious, or ethnic grounds, as the German constitution also stipulates” he said.
However, he also emphasized the need to limit irregular migration, which is becoming an unmanageable challenge for many local communities.
CDU leader Merz has proposed border controls to curb irregular migration, a proposal that Heusgen rejects. “Schengen should continue to function and if there are problems, we need to find solutions – and that must be done jointly in Europe” he said.
Heusgen also criticized the inaction of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, saying, “I cannot understand why, in the face of the current migration challenges, there are no special meetings of the European Council.”
He warned of a further strengthening of right-wing extremist forces in Europe, saying, “I fear that if we do not find solutions on the European level, it could be existentially threatening for Germany.” “Politicians should, regardless of the election campaign, keep the long-term goals in mind. If promises are not realized, this only gives extremist forces a boost, which reject democracy.