Macron and Merkel to Talk EU Reform in Shadow of Migrant Crisis
- Macron and Merkel to Talk EU Reform in Shadow of Migrant Crisis
by http://www.france24.com/en/
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday hosts French President Emmanuel Macron for joint cabinet talks on EU reform, especially the flashpoint issue of immigration that divides the bloc and heaps domestic pressure on Merkel.
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A defiant Interior Minister Horst Seehofer warned that he would give Merkel a fortnight to find a European deal to curb new arrivals by a June 28-29 EU summit, failing which he vowed to order border police to turn back migrants.
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Merkel immediately rejected the threat, saying there would be “no automatism” if no European deal was found, and warned Seehofer and his Bavarian CSU party that she is ultimately in charge of government policy.
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Wading into the crisis, Trump tweeted: “The people of Germany are turning against their leadership as migration is rocking the already tenuous Berlin coalition. “We don’t want what is happening with immigration in Europe to happen with us!”
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The sharp escalation of tensions between Merkel and her long-time Bavarian allies came with EU nations once again at loggerheads over immigration, triggered by Italy’s refusal this month to allow a rescue ship carrying 630 migrants to dock. Arriving for talks with Merkel on Monday evening, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stressed that his country cannot be left alone to deal with the influx.
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“Italian borders are European borders. We must act together on several fronts rather than accept divisions in Europe on responsibility and solidarity,” he warned.
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Merkel therefore needs to balance Seehofer’s demands to turn away migrants who have been registered in another EU country — often Italy or Greece as their first port of call — with the frontline nations’ call for solidarity.
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