Germany's
new era: Merz’s coalition prioritizes migration, economy, defense
In his 1st
week as German chancellor, Friedrich Merz launches strict border controls to
curb irregular migration while announcing major policy reforms to revitalize
stagnating economy and strengthen national defense
Anadolu
staff |
09.05.2025 -
Update : 09.05.2025
BERLIN
Germany's
new conservative-led coalition government has moved quickly to implement its
agenda in its first week in office, with unprecedented measures to curb
irregular migration.
On the
directives of conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the Interior Ministry has
announced enhanced border controls, as well as new procedures, to turn back
irregular migrants and asylum seekers at the country’s borders.
Interior
Minister Alexander Dobrindt has revoked a 2015 verbal instruction -- issued
during Angela Merkel's chancellorship -- that permitted undocumented immigrants
to enter Germany and seek asylum on humanitarian grounds.
The new
government's move aims to reduce asylum applications, which reached 352,000 in
2023, and showed only a moderate decline to 250,000 last year. The Merz
government argues that under EU law and directives, asylum seekers must file
their applications in the first EU country they enter -- such as Greece or
Italy -- rather than traveling to Germany before their applications are
processed.
Beyond
strengthened border controls, the Merz government plans to reform Germany's
asylum system significantly. Changes include faster processing procedures and
increased deportations of rejected asylum seekers and violent offenders to
their home countries.
The
government intends to swiftly conclude bilateral agreements with transit and
origin countries to streamline the repatriation process for rejected asylum
seekers.
- Merz
announces 3 major goals
In his first
television interview after being sworn in as chancellor, Friedrich Merz laid
out three main priorities for his government, and said they will focus on
tackling the migration crisis, revitalizing the stagnating economy, and
strengthening national defense.
“We face
three major problems today. First, there's the migration crisis, we need to
find better solutions. Second, our economy has been stagnant for three years,
we must implement reforms,” Merz told the public broadcaster ZDF.
“And in my
view, the greatest challenge is that our country's freedom and peace are being
threatened like never before. As the government, we must take action,” he
stressed.
The
coalition agreement between Merz's conservative alliance CDU/CSU and their
junior coalition partner the Social Democrats (SPD) aims to modernize Germany's
manufacturing and industrial base, and increase “the potential growth of the
German economy to well over one percent.”
The
government's economic agenda includes significant tax cuts for businesses,
massively increasing investments in key sectors, securing affordable energy for
manufacturing and industry, reducing bureaucratic burdens, and establishing a
digital ministry to drive re-industrialization through technological
advancements.
Germany's
economy has struggled under the previous government's leadership, experiencing
two consecutive years of contraction. The new government faces significant
economic hurdles -- unemployment stands at 6.3%, with 2.93 million people out
of work in April 2025, up 182,000 from the previous year. Though inflation has
cooled from its 2022 peak of 6.9% to an expected 2.1% this month, polls show it
remains the top economic worry among Germans.
- Boosting
defense spending
While
immigration and economic reforms dominate Merz's domestic agenda, he faces
equally pressing foreign policy challenges. Chief among these are Russia's
ongoing war in Ukraine and uncertainty over US President Donald Trump's foreign
policy stance and the future of transatlantic relations.
In recent
months, Merz has repeatedly emphasized the need to bolster Germany's defense
capabilities, citing both growing threats from Russia and indications that the
Trump administration might scale back its security commitments to Europe.
The new
coalition government has launched a historic defense investment package through
a constitutional amendment that bypasses the “debt brake” rule, allowing
Germany to borrow billions of euros for new weapons.
Through this
comprehensive plan, Germany aims to meet NATO's 2% GDP target, purchase
advanced weapons systems, and enhance military cooperation with European
partners. The Merz government plans to take a leading role in European defense
and strengthen partnerships with non-EU allies including the UK, Türkiye, and
Norway.
During his
visit to Brussels after his Feb. 23 election victory, Merz emphasized that
Germany's increased defense spending is not aimed at engaging in conflict, but
rather at deterring attacks on the country and Europe.
“We must be
in a position to defend ourselves, so that we will not have to. Now is the time
to make Europe safer and more resilient,” he told reporters following his talks
with top EU officials. “We agree: there will only be peace in Europe if we are
strong,” he stressed.
The billions
of euros allocated to defense will address critical capability gaps in the
Bundeswehr following years of underfunding. Modernization efforts will cover
multiple domains, including advanced Leopard battle tanks, new fighter jets,
armed drones, and sophisticated missile defense systems
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