In particular, de Maiziere suggested that Syrian refugees should receive a special status, which would prohibit them from reuniting with their families and bringing them to Germany. Eventually he had to take his proposal back, but the precedent itself has raised concerns about the ability of the government to make efficient decisions.
“Persistent unilateral actions of Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere show that the Chancellor can no longer determine the political course. Angela Merkel has lost control of both the black-red coalition government and the CDU,” head of the German “green” party Cem Ozdemir told Der Tagespiegel.
Ozdemir argued that Merkel is unable to prevent the emergence of the new opposition movement within her CDU party in which adherents are proposing new measures to "scare the refugees away."
Der Spiegel columnist Jakob Augstein earlier wrote that the current situation in the German government looks like a "putsch" against Angela Merkel.
However, Russian political expert Alexander Kamkin does not agree with this opinion.
"I would have never called it a putsch though the internal contradictions of the ruling coalition came out and we can see clear multi-directional vectors. If the German parliament attempts to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Chancellor, then we can talk about attempts to displace Merkel. As for now, we can see only disputes behind the scenes," Kamkin said in an exclusive interview with Radio Sputnik.
Earlier, Merkel proposed to set up transit zones on Germany's borders, where asylum seekers would live while their applications are being processed. This initiative was, however, opposed by members of her coalition partner the SPD Party, who said that such transit camps would resemble detention facilities.
