Asger Risom
Germany’s former chancellor criticizes her successor’s hardline stance on migration, calling it a threat to EU unity.
Angela Merkel has issued a sharp rebuke of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s immigration policies, arguing that his national approach threatens the European Union’s fundamental principles. In comments reported by Digi24, Merkel cautioned that the new German border policy could undermine free movement within the EU.
“We must focus on protecting the EU’s external borders. Anything else, if made permanent, will ultimately cost us freedom of movement,”
said Merkel, speaking at a public event.
Berlin’s Border Crackdown Raises Legal Flags
Merz’s government, which took office after February’s snap elections, wasted no time in acting on its pledge to crack down on migration. Within 24 hours of Merz’s inauguration, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced strict new border controls — including the rejection of migrants and asylum seekers at Germany’s internal EU borders.
Legal experts and left-leaning opposition parties say the measures may violate EU law. Merkel agreed, warning that unilateral national moves would unravel the EU from within.
She added:
I advocate for European solutions. Otherwise, we could see Europe ruined — and I don’t want that. I hope the new federal government doesn’t either,
The CDU veteran emphasized that Germany alone cannot control illegal migration along borders with countries like Austria and Poland, and that long-term answers must be forged through EU-wide consensus — even if the process is slow.
Political Rift in Germany’s Center-Right
Although both politicians belong to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Merkel and Merz represent increasingly divergent wings of the party.
Merkel, who governed Germany from 2005 to 2021, led from the center and became internationally known for her decision to admit hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees in 2015.
Merz, by contrast, has steered the CDU sharply to the right on immigration.
He has also courted controversy for relying on votes from far-right politicians to pass an anti-immigration motion — a move Merkel publicly criticized in the weeks before the election.
Their rivalry has deep roots. Merz was once seen as a rising star in the CDU but withdrew from politics in the early 2000s after losing a leadership battle with Merkel. He returned only after her departure from party leadership in 2018, setting the stage for today’s ideological clash.
With Germany now moving decisively to the right on migration, Merkel’s rare public intervention underscores growing tensions over Europe’s ability to maintain unity amid diverging national priorities.