Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has cautioned against the potential damage to the European Union and the Schengen Area following Poland’s announcement of its intention to implement its own border controls with Germany. Speaking in Schwerin at an event hosted by ARD, Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland and Ostsee-Zeitung on Tuesday evening, Merkel expressed concern regarding the functionality of the Schengen system.
While acknowledging that border controls can be necessary on a temporary basis, Merkel emphasized that they should not undermine the principle of free movement. She stressed the importance of a European-wide approach to the complex issue of migration.
Addressing accusations that her government’s migration policies contributed to the rise of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Merkel rejected the claim. She argued that the government’s decisions on refugee policy should not be interpreted as a justification for hostility towards others, stating that such a reaction would be inconsistent with democratic values.
Merkel sharply criticized the AfD, accusing the party of fostering xenophobia and resentment. She asserted that attempts to divide society into elites and “others” and subsequently incite hatred between these groups, posed a threat to the foundations of German democracy.
She further addressed the AfD’s attempts to appropriate the slogan “Wir sind das Volk” (“We are the people”), originally used during the final years of East Germany. Merkel countered that “the people” encompass all citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany, including herself and that she would not allow the AfD to monopolize this phrase.
