Anyone hoping for a hardline shift on migration in Germany is in for a rude awakening. Despite growing public frustration over crime and skyrocketing costs, Social Democratic Party (SPD) co-leader Lars Klingbeil made it clear: border closures aren’t on the table.
Speaking on ARD’s Maischberger, Klingbeil dismissed the idea outright, calling it impractical and out of step with European values. “We simply can’t implement this nationally,” he argued. “And at a time when Europe needs to stand strong—especially in response to Trump—we can’t have its largest economy leading the charge on border shutdowns.”
His comments come as Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz faces mounting pressure to act on immigration. While Merz once vowed to “permanently control the borders” after an Afghan migrant murdered a child in Aschaffenburg, he’s already signaled that drastic measures like full-scale closures won’t happen.
Not everyone in the CDU is happy with this compromise. The party’s youth wing, Junge Union, is pushing for an end to coalition talks with the SPD, arguing that their refusal to address migration is out of touch with voters. Junge Union chairman Johannes Winkel didn’t hold back, calling Klingbeil’s stance “irresponsible” and warning that Germans won’t tolerate an unchecked flow of migrants coupled with an overburdened welfare system.
Polls seem to back him up. A recent survey found 72% of Germans support turning back migrants at the border, with even a majority of SPD voters favoring stricter controls.
Yet, once again, it looks like German voters won’t be getting the immigration policies they want. Whether they’ll push back harder in the future—or simply accept it—remains to be seen.
