Merkel saves himself at European Castle

The last two weeks were much more than crucial weeks for a Chancellor. They were a fierce struggle for the principled European policy of refugees. And it was won by those forces, which are focused on isolation. Those politicians who in the future want to prevent people from embarking on the life - threatening path across the Mediterranean. With reinforced border protection but also camps in North Africa. There, refugees must wait in the future until it has become clear if you love them, Europe. Either because they have the right to receive asylum or because they need their workforce. Even within Europe, it will be governed in the future by much stronger hands, theoretically refugees will be sent to the centres or camps, cases will soon be processed, and unwanted visitors will return just as soon as they have been lost where they came from.

Large plans Angela Merkel agreed on together with her European colleagues last week and with which she gives negative answers to her up-to-date policy of open borders. Plans, which eventually caused her to change her attitude to her Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and end the sad German low-level theatre of the last few days, thus saving her from breaking up the German coalition government.

That's the good news. Not just Germany, but Europe. Because for Europe's largest national economy to be involved in an open-ended crisis, it is not just populist degogues that are of interest. Very important is Germany's stabilising power. This is one of the reasons why Merkel managed so quickly to organise a high-level European meeting that agreed on the basic principles of this new European migration and asylum policy. Europe knows what it means to Angela Merkel at this time.

With this, it really ended the acute crisis. But a real answer to the challenges has not been found for this should no one lie to himself. Because which North African states will refugee capture camps be built? Up-to-date responses are rejecting. And what countries are you allowed to enter into business with if you want to keep human rights minimally? And who should feed refugees if prevented from going on? The most recent images from Algeria show what might happen: Thousands were sent with the full meaning of the word in the wilderness, among them children and pregnant women who died in shadow temperatures of thirst and hunger. Even now, a country like Lebanon has accepted more refugees than all of Europe. This too is part of the reality of European isolation policy.

Even inside Europe at present, there are more questions than answers. Even here it is unclear where the camps will be built. Which governments will at the end truly be willing to facilitate Italy and Greece, those countries with the longest external borders, and the largest number of refugees, respectively. This quick agreement between the two unionist parties was possible only that all remained turbulent. The only thing that can be implemented soon will be strengthening the protection of the border ʹ are coming conveniently to the European Border and Coast Protection Agency, Frontex and firms building fences.

For three years Angela Merkel has been fighting for a human policy against refugees. On the way, she also made mistakes. Communication has often been so bad, there have been technical shortcomings. But now the atmosphere in her country -- the new political party landscape, reports in Europe -- not recently the government partner CSU imposed on her a policy of new severity.

Her deep and simple conviction that those in need need need help should not have changed anything. It will now depend more on it not only to build fences but to work strongly on properly designed immigration laws, to initiate new partnerships with Africa, and to support more clearly than by now those forces that fight for people to stay in their homes.

Border fences and posts can currently protect European governments. Lasting solutions are not.