A recent election promise made by Friedrich Merz, a German politician, has raised questions about his stance on migration and border control. During his campaign, Merz vowed to instruct the Federal Ministry of the Interior to control the German borders with all neighboring countries and reject all attempts at illegal entry on the first day of his term as Chancellor.
However, his recent statements suggest a shift in his position on the issue of migration, potentially breaking his election promise. In a recent television appearance, Lars Klingbeil, the chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), stated that the SPD would not support any border closures, saying, “I can tell you very clearly, the SPD will not agree to border closures.”
If Merz were to break his promise on migration, it would be a significant departure from his campaign rhetoric, in which he distinguished himself from “left and green ideologues.” Merz had used strong language to distance himself from those he perceived as being on the left, but his recent statements suggest he may be more open to adopting their positions.
Today, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the SPD are scheduled to hold exploratory talks on the topic of migration. The development of Merz’s stance on this issue will be closely watched in the coming days.