Germany's Election Focus on Immigration and its EU Implications

The 2025 German election campaign is characterized by a significant shift in the political landscape. For the first time since World War II, Germany's traditional center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) and center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) are likely to garner less than half of the national vote, with the SPD polling at a post-war low of 16%. Migration is a major topic in the election campaign, with several parties proposing measures that could have far-reaching implications for the European Union. These measures include the reintroduction of permanent controls at the Schengen borders and the detention of individuals who have been ordered to leave the country.