Germany’s Far-Right Surges, Politicians Suddenly Remember Borders Exist
According to Al-Monitor, Merz's conservative party is preparing for state elections next year by calling for the return of Syrian refugees, claiming they 'no longer have grounds for asylum.' This declaration conveniently overlooks Germany's own history of benefiting from (and contributing to) global instability, and the fact that an 'end' to a civil war hardly means the conditions for safe return
have magically appeared. The timing (a year before elections, not when the 'war ended') suggests this is less about facts on the ground and more about votes in the ballot box. It appears that compassion, much like geopolitical stability, is a luxury reserved for when domestic polling numbers are solid. How many times will democracies invent a sudden 'peace' to justify human rights reversals,
particularly when the ballot box offers a fresh incentive? One might wonder how quickly leaders would find a 'solution' to conflict if their own re-election didn't depend on scapegoating vulnerable populations.