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| Angela Merkel endorses party's call for partial ban on burqa and niqab | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Angela Merkel has for the first time endorsed her party’s call for a partial ban on burqa and niqab in Germany, telling delegates at the Christian Democratic Union’s conference in Essen “the full facial veil is inappropriate and should be banned wherever it is legally possible”. | Angela Merkel has for the first time endorsed her party’s call for a partial ban on burqa and niqab in Germany, telling delegates at the Christian Democratic Union’s conference in Essen “the full facial veil is inappropriate and should be banned wherever it is legally possible”. |
| The German chancellor’s CDU party is expected this week to pass a motion proposing a ban on the full face veil in some areas of public life such as courts, schools and universities, as well as in road traffic and during police checks. A full ban on the facial veil, as introduced in France in 2011, is seen as incompatible with Germany’s basic laws. | The German chancellor’s CDU party is expected this week to pass a motion proposing a ban on the full face veil in some areas of public life such as courts, schools and universities, as well as in road traffic and during police checks. A full ban on the facial veil, as introduced in France in 2011, is seen as incompatible with Germany’s basic laws. |
| Until further detail of the motion emerges, Merkel’s comments represent a change in rhetoric rather than a full U-turn: back in September, the chancellor had called for stricter guidelines on official situations where wearing a full face veil was not permissible, while also stating that “lived diversity is the logical consequence of freedom”. | Until further detail of the motion emerges, Merkel’s comments represent a change in rhetoric rather than a full U-turn: back in September, the chancellor had called for stricter guidelines on official situations where wearing a full face veil was not permissible, while also stating that “lived diversity is the logical consequence of freedom”. |
| In her first party address since announcing she would run for a fourth term as chancellor next year, Merkel focused on law-and-order issues guaranteed to fire up her party’s conservative base. | In her first party address since announcing she would run for a fourth term as chancellor next year, Merkel focused on law-and-order issues guaranteed to fire up her party’s conservative base. |
| “Our law takes precedence over codes of honour, tribal or family rules, and over sharia law – that has to be spelled out clearly,” Merkel said, explaining her decision to back a partial ban. “This also means that it is important to show face when people communicate,” she said. | “Our law takes precedence over codes of honour, tribal or family rules, and over sharia law – that has to be spelled out clearly,” Merkel said, explaining her decision to back a partial ban. “This also means that it is important to show face when people communicate,” she said. |
| After her speech, 89.5% of CDU delegates re-elected Merkel as their party leader – the lowest endorsement of her time as chancellor. As in previous years, her candidacy was unopposed. | After her speech, 89.5% of CDU delegates re-elected Merkel as their party leader – the lowest endorsement of her time as chancellor. As in previous years, her candidacy was unopposed. |
| Merkel’s decision to keep borders open to thousands of refugees stranded in Hungary last September had led to a backlash, not least from her sister party, the Bavarian Christian Social Union. But during her 80-minute speech on Tuesday afternoon Merkel said “a situation like the one of summer 2015 cannot, must not and will not be repeated”. | Merkel’s decision to keep borders open to thousands of refugees stranded in Hungary last September had led to a backlash, not least from her sister party, the Bavarian Christian Social Union. But during her 80-minute speech on Tuesday afternoon Merkel said “a situation like the one of summer 2015 cannot, must not and will not be repeated”. |
| She said: “That’s what we have been working towards for many many months – for the good of those here in Germany, and for the good of the refugees, so that they don’t fall victim to ruthless people-smugglers.” | She said: “That’s what we have been working towards for many many months – for the good of those here in Germany, and for the good of the refugees, so that they don’t fall victim to ruthless people-smugglers.” |
| While insisting Germany had been right to offer refuge to people fleeing a war zone in Syria, Merkel also said many asylum seekers would have to leave Germany again in the future, vowing to speed up deportations of those who had been rejected. She said: “Not all of those who have come here can and will stay.” | While insisting Germany had been right to offer refuge to people fleeing a war zone in Syria, Merkel also said many asylum seekers would have to leave Germany again in the future, vowing to speed up deportations of those who had been rejected. She said: “Not all of those who have come here can and will stay.” |
| Merkel condemned Russia and Iran’s support for Bashar al-Assad and the failure to stop bombing attacks on Aleppo. She said: “It is a disgrace that we haven’t been able to set up aid corridors. We have to keep on fighting for that.” | Merkel condemned Russia and Iran’s support for Bashar al-Assad and the failure to stop bombing attacks on Aleppo. She said: “It is a disgrace that we haven’t been able to set up aid corridors. We have to keep on fighting for that.” |
| She expressed her frustration with the lack of public outrage about the humanitarian situation in Syria, saying: “To be honest, if a free-trade agreement with the United States of America can bring hundreds of thousands out on to the streets, but the barbarous bombardments of Aleppo don’t trigger any public protests, then something is wrong with our political standards.” | She expressed her frustration with the lack of public outrage about the humanitarian situation in Syria, saying: “To be honest, if a free-trade agreement with the United States of America can bring hundreds of thousands out on to the streets, but the barbarous bombardments of Aleppo don’t trigger any public protests, then something is wrong with our political standards.” |
| On the day that the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michael Barnier, insisted Britain’s new status in relation with the European Union would have to be inferior to membership, Merkel repeated her commitment to the EU’s “four freedoms”: free movement of goods, capital, services and people. | On the day that the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michael Barnier, insisted Britain’s new status in relation with the European Union would have to be inferior to membership, Merkel repeated her commitment to the EU’s “four freedoms”: free movement of goods, capital, services and people. |
| She said: “Negotiations around Brexit are threatening to weaken the single market, and there’s great pressure on Europe’s four basic freedoms. We will not allow any cherrypicking: the four freedoms have to be preserved. Only then can you have access to the single market – that has to be the maxim for negotiations with Great Britain.” | She said: “Negotiations around Brexit are threatening to weaken the single market, and there’s great pressure on Europe’s four basic freedoms. We will not allow any cherrypicking: the four freedoms have to be preserved. Only then can you have access to the single market – that has to be the maxim for negotiations with Great Britain.” |
| The year 2016 had made the world more uncertain and unstable, the chancellor said. “When the world has been turned upside down, we have to first do everything to make sure that Europe doesn’t come weaker out of the current situation than it went into it,” she said. | The year 2016 had made the world more uncertain and unstable, the chancellor said. “When the world has been turned upside down, we have to first do everything to make sure that Europe doesn’t come weaker out of the current situation than it went into it,” she said. |