The German government has refuted a media report suggesting that newly elected Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared a state of national emergency to enhance border controls. A government spokesperson confirmed that Article 72 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which could enable such measures, has not been activated.
Stefan Kornelius, a spokesperson for the government, stated, "The chancellor is not declaring a national emergency," addressing the rumors on Thursday. This clarification follows an article from the German media outlet Die Welt, which reported that the federal government is considering invoking the EU clause to implement immediate national laws concerning border protection and internal security.
Should this clause be enacted, it would result in significant tightening of border controls and the rejection of asylum applications. This move would mark a historic first for Germany as an EU founding member, attempting to suspend EU law, although any such request would require approval from Brussels.
The same EU clause was previously utilized by Italy in 2023 as part of efforts to address what the government termed an alarming immigration crisis. Reports also indicated that ambassadors from Germany's neighboring countries were briefed by the Interior Ministry regarding the potential emergency measures, although a specific start date for any national emergency was not disclosed.
Separately, German officials told Euronews that Chancellor Merz intends to declare a national emergency to expedite the deportation of individuals attempting to enter Germany illegally via safe EU countries. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, who was sworn into office recently, instructed federal police to enhance border control measures aimed at increasing the number of irregular migrants turned away, including those seeking asylum.
Dobrindt remarked, “We will control the borders more strictly…will also lead to a higher number of rejections.” He also emphasized that vulnerable individuals, such as children and pregnant women, would not be refused entry at the border.
These proposed measures have drawn criticism from Poland and Austria, and the legality of the plans has been called into question by various experts.
