A German political scientist, Gerald Knaus, has criticized the Union’s migration plans and warned of a further strengthening of the AfD.
According to Knaus, the Union’s five-point plan, presented by CDU leader Friedrich Merz, is not feasible and would breach European law and lead to tensions with neighboring countries. Knaus, an expert on migration, criticized Merz’s lack of realism in the migration debate, saying that the idea of stopping all migration at the German internal border by decree is unrealistic.
Knaus suggested that the Union should learn from the Austrian experience, where a similar approach led to the election of the FPÖ in 2024. He warned that if the Union does not pay attention, the AfD could gain further support in Germany.
Knaus sees chances for a new agreement with Turkey and the fall of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad to lead to a decrease in the number of asylum applications in the EU. He emphasized the need for a functional cooperation with Ankara, as seen in 2020, to tackle the issue of asylum applications.
Germany, according to Knaus, is heading in the wrong direction with its focus on border controls and national solutions, which would be in breach of European law and could lead to a question of whether Germany would leave the Schengen area and build walls in the middle of the EU, as the FPÖ and AfD are demanding. Knaus warned that ignoring European law would be fatal, as the EU is held together by the common law.