We can do it. That’s the message Chancellor Angela Merkel has been giving her country ever since she pledged in late August to provide refuge to anyone coming from Syria in addition to others seeking protection from violence and warfare. The initial euphoria in the country was significant, with tens of thousands of everyday Germans joining the army of helpers to try and cope with the huge influx of needy refugees.
But there have since been signs that the initial elation is fading. The most obvious, of course, was Berlin’s reintroduction of border controls on the German frontier with Austria a month ago. But there have been others as well: Frustration in German states about insufficient federal assistance; grumbling within Merkel’s party about her open door policy; and conflicts with the Social Democrats within Merkel’s governing coalition.
Can it be done?
Courageous words, perhaps, but also a bit concerning. Can a report focusing on real conditions on the ground really be seen as an attack on the government line? May truths not be uttered just because they don’t align with Merkel’s indestructible optimism? As many as a million refugees will come to Germany this year. Can we do it?
Yes, Merkel says, of course we can. In late August, the chancellor said Germany was an amiable country -- and that people fleeing war and political persecution are welcome here. Such statements, free of tactic and calculation, are new for the chancellor.
Her words traveled at lightning speed. They were shared over Facebook and Twitter, via email and SMS, prompting tens of thousands of people -- maybe hundreds of thousands -- to make their way to Europe. In Hungary, refugees are being fought off with water cannons and tear gas. Police officers are back at the German border with Austria to at least try and channel the flow of desperate people pouring in.
It is now being said that, after all those years of hesitation and procrastination, Merkel has finally found her issue with the refugees. But that is a rather one-dimensional approach. There is, in fact, much more at stake. Merkel is trying to transform Germany into a moral superpower in Europe. It is an aim that is not entirely free of hubris.
Shifting Mood
Despite periodic bouts of bluster, German chancellors have always strived for consensus in the EU. But Merkel has now embarked on her own special path. And when it comes to refugees, she’s on her own, cursed by the Eastern Europeans and abandoned by the Brits. Neighboring Austria applauds politely, but the country is happy when the refugees continue on to Germany.
Within Merkel’s own party, the mood is shifting. Many think she is slowly losing her grip on the situation. They believe she made a generous gesture, but now she is failing at administering the crisis. And there is some truth to that. After all, like Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière, she spent months blithely ignoring multitude warnings about the rising refugee numbers.
Israel and the US are celebrating Merkel. The New York Times gave her a “bravo.” Israeli historian Tom Segev says Germany is being “noble and commendable.” Among Germany’s European partners, however, the enthusiasm is much less effusive. And it’s not only Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán who is openly rebelling against the Merkel approach.
Merkel’s invitation to refugees, after all, wasn’t just in Germany’s name. She was effectively speaking for all of Europe -- her words put the onus for accepting all the refugees who heeded Merkel’s call on the entire Continent. Europe is bursting at the seams and it’s Merkel who is responsible.
