The Free Democratic Party (FDP) is advocating for a compromise migration pact to be reached before the end of the parliamentary session. They are seeking the support of the Federalist faction, the Greens, and the Social Democrats to create a new migration agreement that aims to reduce illegal immigration while upholding German values.
The FDP’s proposal merges the federal faction’s “Influx Limitation Bill” with a law that reforms the European asylum system. The party is striving to secure approval for its proposal on the final day of the parliamentary session before the general elections scheduled for February 23.
In a letter from Christian Dürr, leader of the FDP’s parliamentary group, sent to the Traffic Light coalition MPs, Dürr stated, “If we do not want populists and radicals to emerge victorious in the end, we must now demonstrate that we are capable of finding solutions from the center.” Dürr believes that democratic parties have the opportunity to prove their genuine willingness to establish a different immigration policy. The FDP’s initiative includes a comprehensive package of measures to be implemented over a long-term schedule. According to Dürr, there is an agreement among democratic parties on the content of this comprehensive package.
The FDP’s ambitious initiative appears challenging to realize given the limited time left in the current parliament. According to the party’s plan, the internal committee is expected to complete drafting the proposal by the end of this week during a special session. In the meantime, the Federal faction has decided to withdraw its request for a hearing in the Bundestag. Following this, the party must secure a majority for the initiative within a few days in order to proceed with the vote in the Bundestag on February 11.
The Influx Limitation Bill has sparked widespread controversy in the past few days, and the Federal faction’s candidate for the position of Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has been widely criticized by democratic parties and public political figures, including former Chancellor Angela Merkel. The criticism focused on Merz’s proposal achieving a majority in the initial vote in the Bundestag with the votes of the right-wing Alternative for Germany party, which lost the vote on it as a bill after the deputies of the Christian Democratic parties, the Free Democratic Party and the Christian Social Union abstained from voting, and the deputies of the Green Party and the Social Democratic Party voted against the bill.
In a different context, Robert Habeck, the Greens’ candidate for chancellor, unveiled a ten-point proposal aimed at strengthening internal security. This proposal addresses various immigration-related issues, including enhancing the police’s capacity to execute arrest warrants and deportations, as well as tightening border controls. Habeck expressed, “I want a policy that maximizes security, does not provoke resentment, protects fundamental rights, and minimizes widespread criticism. This also involves taking measures to limit and reduce irregular immigration.”
The Green Party’s leader, Franziska Brantner, remarked that Habeck’s plan represents the Greens’ response to the pressing concerns of Germans today; however, it lacks a timetable for implementation.
