Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Odds of a Afghan Refugee Admission Program by the Germans?

 Chatter started up already on Monday, and it's hitting turbo on both ARD/ZDF  (the two public TV networks).  The pro-asylum groups are also hyping the suggested agenda.

So what'll happen?  I'll suggest four things:

1.  The CDU-CSU-SPD coalition really doesn't want to open this discussion...knowing that the AfD Party will pick it up and possibly seize more points to the 26 September federal election.  

2.  Even if you got past the election and opened the discussion....the topic will quickly turn to 'how many'.  The government might be willing to bend a bit and openly discuss 20k to 40k.  The pro-asylum folks?  I think they'd start talks of 500k to 1-million.  

3.  Even if the two groups could find a center-point, how about those 40-odd thousand refugees (Syrian and Iraqi) in Greece....waiting up to three years now for their chance to enter Germany?  They will say they deserve first entry, over everyone else.

4.  Finally, you turn to working-class Germans.  They all remember how crapped-out the situation developed into back in 2015/2016.  They don't want a repeat.  Go ask either Scholz (SPD) or Laschet (CDU), likely winners of the Chancellor election....how either feel, and it won't be a happy feeling.  Go add up the flood-victims over in the far west of Germany, the Greta-environmental kids, and angry Covid folks....it's a stressful time to be a politician.   I just don't give many good odds on a admission program developing.  

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