One step forward, two steps back: the ambiguous role of Germany in EU Asylum policies
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In: Journal of European Integration, Vol. 43, No. 2, 2021, p. 157-174.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - One step forward, two steps back
T2 - the ambiguous role of Germany in EU Asylum policies
AU - Zaun, Natascha
AU - Ripoll Servent, Ariadna
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Drawing on the Core State Power framework, this paper assesses Germany’s ambiguous role in EU asylum policies from signing of the Maastricht Treaty to the present. It demonstrates that Germany has neither taken on the role of a leader nor pursued any consistent course regarding the institutional setup or content of EU asylum policies. However, this does not mean that Germany does not have any preferences in this area. Overall, German governments have supported whatever policy would decrease the country’s share of asylum-seekers vis-à-vis other European countries, in order to achieve two core goals: first, to avoid the material costs resulting from high numbers of asylum-seekers, a preference that is common among state elites; and second, to avoid audience/electoral costs resulting from the comparatively restrictive preferences of the public, especially when these are mobilised by right-wing populist parties.
AB - Drawing on the Core State Power framework, this paper assesses Germany’s ambiguous role in EU asylum policies from signing of the Maastricht Treaty to the present. It demonstrates that Germany has neither taken on the role of a leader nor pursued any consistent course regarding the institutional setup or content of EU asylum policies. However, this does not mean that Germany does not have any preferences in this area. Overall, German governments have supported whatever policy would decrease the country’s share of asylum-seekers vis-à-vis other European countries, in order to achieve two core goals: first, to avoid the material costs resulting from high numbers of asylum-seekers, a preference that is common among state elites; and second, to avoid audience/electoral costs resulting from the comparatively restrictive preferences of the public, especially when these are mobilised by right-wing populist parties.
KW - Asylum policies
KW - core State Powers
KW - Germany
KW - leadership
KW - Politics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85101656241&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/07036337.2021.1877692
DO - 10.1080/07036337.2021.1877692
M3 - Journal articles
AN - SCOPUS:85101656241
VL - 43
SP - 157
EP - 174
JO - Journal of European Integration
JF - Journal of European Integration
SN - 0703-6337
IS - 2
ER -