Populist parties in Poland and Germany are pushing their governments to reintroduce border checks that could endanger the Schengen area, Spanish news site El Independiente reported on Wednesday.
The outlet said Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition in Berlin and Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s administration in Warsaw face pressure from Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Poland’s conservative-populist Law and Justice (PiS) and nationalist-libertarian Confederation parties, which “exploit fears of migration to mobilize their voters”.
Migration remains a permanent campaign issue for Poland’s conservatives, El Independiente wrote, noting that this year’s election of conservative president Karol Nawrocki had “given them wings”. It added that Germany had already imposed partial border controls.
“Tusk knows the opposition will seize any chance to sow confusion and persuade the public that he lacks border control and is too lenient towards Germany,” the portal said.
Spain’s El País daily reported on Tuesday that anti-immigration sentiment towards people of African or Asian origin is widespread in Poland and that successive governments have tightened migration policy.
Tusk on Tuesday announced temporary checks on Poland’s frontiers with Germany and Lithuania to curb what it says are uncontrolled migrant flows.
The draft regulation, released on Wednesday by the Government Legislative Center, said controls on individuals will start on July 7 and last until August 5.
(jh)
Source: PAP