This page uses cookies
These Cookies are necessary
Data to improve the website with tracking (Matomo).
These are cookies that come from external sites and services, e.g. Youtube or Vimeo.
Enter your username and password here in order to log in on the website
A FES-paper analyzes the impact of the 2017 fall elections in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic on migration policies.
Image: Spazieren in Wien. Ein Wahlplakat des Kandidaten Norbert Hofer zur Bundespräsidentschaftswahl 2016 of Michael Gubi licensed under CC BY NC 2.0
The issue of immigration played a variable role in the 2017 national elections in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. In Germany, most parties’ campaigns - including that of the SPD and CDU - focused on other topics. Yet, their stances on immigration and asylum largely influenced voters’ decisions. The latter also applies to the elections in Austria and the Czech Republic where the winning and future governing parties ran fierce anti-immigration campaigns.
The outcome of the elections in Austria and the Czech Republic strengthens EU member states calling for a more restrictive immigration policy and even a total closing of the borders. Concerning specific immigration policies, the future Austrian government will probably closely cooperate with the Visegrád Group (Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia) at the EU level. However, due to many different interests, it is very unlikely that Austria will officially accede to the so called V4.
Overall, the outcome of the elections in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic will not fundamentally change the course of European migration policy but rather intensify the current tendency of externalization, aiming to prevent migrants from reaching European soil. This policy includes border protection, closer cooperation with neighboring states as well as plans for “hotspots” in order to detain and vet asylum seekers outside of Europe. Moreover, this means increasing deportations and presumably a redefinition of the concepts of asylum and sanctuary with the purpose of denying more people the right to enter the European Union.
The paper is part of a series of reports on current debates on migration in European countries.
Contact: Timo Rinke, Head of Regional Project “Flight, Migration, Integration in Europe”, FES-Office in Budapest.
Falter, Matthias; Stern, Verena
Matthias Falter, Verena Stern. - Budapest : Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Regional Project "Flight, Migration, Integration in Europe", [2018]. - 16 Seiten = 380 KB, PDF-File. - (Analysis)Electronic ed.: Budapest : FES, 2018
Download (PDF) (380 KB, PDF-File)
In March, Switzerland will introduce a new asylum procedure. Dr. Constantin Hruschka analyses the changes.
External reception centres and abolishment of asylum request at the border - the new strategy of the Danish Social Democracy contains a lot of fuel.
Konstantin Bärwaldt
+49 30 269 35-7501
Konstantin.Baerwaldt(at)fes.de
All FES experts on the International Community and Civil Society
For millions of people the Corona virus is both a threat to their health and their job. Now is the moment to push governments towards establishing basic social protection. As an instrument to exert pressure, FES offers a map that identifies gaps in social protection worldwide. more
How close is the global community to reaching the Sustainability Goals? The annual Spotlight Report focuses on obstacles and contradictions regarding the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. more