The tug of war with Berlin over migration
Athens is determined to take a very tough stance toward Germany, especially after Berlin’s recent decision to tighten controls on its western land borders, according to well-informed sources speaking to Kathimerini.
The Greek government, which will be asked to strictly observe the Schengen acquis, will insist on its stance on the Migration Pact – i.e. burden sharing for all countries and not just for the frontline states. Greece will also seek an alliance with other countries – such as e.g. Austria-Poland, and mainly the countries of the South. Italy has a similar point of view, while Spain and Portugal (all countries located on the external borders of the EU) have the same problems.
A competent source clarified that the messages Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sent from Vienna last week about the migration issue were not aimed at Germany, but at those who are thinking of following national policies that touch the core of EU cohesion.
Berlin’s decision to tighten land border controls is seen as a clearly political move, stemming from the electoral collapse of Chancellor Olaf Sholz’s Socialists, in Thuringia and Saxony and ahead of the September 22 showdown in the state of Brandenburg – the fortress of the SPD challenged by the far-right AfD. The situation is not expected to change significantly in view of the national elections in Germany in autumn 2025.
Difficulties in the relationship with Berlin over migration are nothing new as the issue has been at the center of politics in Germany in recent years. These difficulties emerged – behind closed doors – at least three times in 2023. The last meeting between Mitsotakis meeting in Berlin with Scholz was last November.
The return of refugees who are currently residing in Germany but who previously obtained legal documents in Greece is one of the primary requests of the Germans, which Athens rejects.
