The federal government came under increasing pressure in Brussels because of its position on the planned EU asylum reform, and negotiations stalled. According to Federal Interior Minister Faeser, a breakthrough is now imminent.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expects a breakthrough in negotiations on a core element of the planned reform of the European asylum system in Brussels this Thursday.
She assumes that there will be a political agreement on the controversial EU crisis regulation, the SPD politician told the German Press Agency in the evening on the sidelines of a celebration for the upcoming Day of German Unity. The EU interior ministers will meet in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the planned asylum reform.
According to government circles in the cabinet, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had previously stated that the crisis regulation could no longer be blocked. The Greens in particular had rejected the regulation in the past because they feared that in crisis situations the protection standards for migrants could be unacceptably lowered.
No statement from Baerbock
The crisis regulation is part of the planned asylum reform, which, among other things, is intended to limit irregular migration. For example, if there is a particularly strong increase in migration, the period during which people can be held in prison-like conditions should be extended.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens), who will receive her Italian colleague Antonio Tajani in Berlin on Thursday, initially did not comment on Faeser’s forecast. The Foreign Office only said today about the status of the negotiations on the regulation: “Now negotiations are finally taking place properly in Brussels.”
In Brussels that evening it was considered very unlikely that the current draft of the crisis regulation could be significantly changed again before agreement was reached. It was said that only minor adjustments would probably be possible.
The topic is likely to play a role in the European elections
As soon as the dispute over the crisis regulation has been resolved, negotiations with the European Parliament that are important for the reform can probably continue. Parliament recently announced that it would block parts of the talks until the EU states have positioned themselves on the issue of crisis regulations.
This is particularly explosive because of the approaching European elections in June 2024. Projects that have not yet been negotiated with the governments of the member states could then be called into question again and be delayed for a long time. In the case of the planned reform of the asylum system, this would be a particularly big setback. The project has been in the works for years.
The issue is also likely to play a role in upcoming elections in the member states and in the European elections. Right-wing parties in particular, such as the AfD, have long accused the EU of failing in the fight against illegal migration.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
