French MEP Bernard Monot accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of ruining the bloc by ushering in 4 million migrants from Africa and the Middle East during her visit to the plenary session. He warned that the “worst times” are yet to come, when 10 million so-called economic migrants flee to Europe.
“Your 13 years of staying in power has led the European Union to an economic, social and cultural collapse. What will go down in history as a result of your policies is your compulsive and unilateral decision to open Germany for the migrants, helpfully supported by Mr. [Jean-Claude] Juncker (Head of the European Commission). Since 2015, the European Union has accepted a total of four million young migrants on the ground of the so-called right to a refuge,” said the member of Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy, a populist group in the legislature.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivered a speech before the Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on November 13. In her address, she touched upon several pressing issues, including the creation of a European army, closer unity, the problems of the Eurozone, and a digital tax.
The German Chancellor backed French President Macron's call for a “true European army”, stressing that "Europe must take its fate in its own hands", and proposed to establish a "European security council".
Merkel added that "only a united Europe can be strong enough to be heard on the world stage," and urged the EU countries "to come to common solutions in areas where treaties would allow it".
This came amid growing tensions within the bloc on a number of topics. One of the main points of discord, which has caused tensions pitting Germany and France against Eastern Europe's Visegrad countries, is migrant redistribution. The latter had been unwilling to meet the quota requirements and take in a certain number of refugees.
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The European Union has been experiencing a large-scale migration crisis since 2015 due to an influx of thousands of migrants and refugees fleeing crises in the Middle East and North Africa, which have sowed the seeds of discontent in Europe and in Germany, in particular.
Following the recent Christian Democratic Union setback in elections in the German state of Hesse, Angela Merkel, who has been the party's chair since 2000 and the nation's chancellor since 2005, announced that she would not run for the party leadership in December. Merkel, who has shaped EU politics for years, has also stated that she won't seek a fifth term as chancellor in 2021.
