Philipp Türmer, chair of the youth branch (Jusos) of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), has threatened to reject the coalition government agreement with the Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CDU/CSU).
Türmer said on social media on March 11 he rejected points in the agreement’s exploratory paper on work, social affairs and migration “with the deepest conviction”.
“I could not agree to a coalition agreement with this content,” he stated.
In particular regarding asylum and migration, Tümer said he was “simply shocked”.
“Massive deportations to Syria, among other places, where, according to current reports, 300 Alawite civilians have just been murdered, this clearly violates minimum human rights standards,” he said.
That related to Syrian security forces allegedly having executed dozens of people belonging to the Alawite minority in the coastal province of Latakia, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the BBC reported on March 7.
Tümer also said he was “stunned” about the consideration of revoking German citizenship of people with dual citizenship in certain cases. He said that would be “unconstitutional” and “crosses a red line”.
“This is an absolute dealbreaker that must not be sustainable for us.”
On the Jusos Instagram site, a post read: “A Social Democratic party must not go along with something like this!”
The young Socialists opposed rejecting would-be migrants at the German border and supported the enabling of family reunification together with “benevolent” admission programmes.
Typically, all party members get to vote in a membership referendum on the coalition agreement. Losing the youth vote early on could be a deal-breaker in the long run.
The Jusos received support from established figures within the SPD. Co-chair of the party, Saskia Esken and outgoing interior minister Nancy Faeser, also voiced their opposition to rejections at the border.
Faeser warned against “national unilateralism”, while Esken said the proposed policies were “extremely dangerous”.
Outgoing Socialist defence minister Boris Pistorius said at an SPD parliamentary group meeting on March 10 that the CDU could not prevail on migration policy and its proposed changes would have no practical effect.
He reportedly said the party would allow the “limitation” of migration but stressed that would have “zero effect. None at all”, calling the plan a “placebo”.
According to Stern, Pistorus was dismissive about the negotiating partners from the CDU, calling them “really unpleasant” and saying: “They have no conscience.”
“Humanity and responsibility for other people? Zero point zero,” he was quoted as saying.
The Socialists’ position came as CDU party leader Friedrich Merz, who campaigned on tougher migration policies in light of a spike in crime and terrorism committed in some cases by those of an immigrant background, had already dropped most of his demands.
Almost four in five German Muslim voters backed left-wing parties in the country’s national election, a new survey has shown. https://t.co/fFJ2GJS89O
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) February 26, 2025
