How to manage migration like the Swedish

In the end, the German state of Thuringia did not fall into the hands of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). The party won the most votes in the recent election but was unable to form a coalition, meaning that Björn Höcke will not be the state’s minister-president. This is ideal for him: he can cry foul, claim to represent the true voice of Germany and point to a conspiracy to keep him out of power. His incendiary strain of politics proved more popular than the more moderate version of the AfD in Saxony, which held elections the same day. These will all be lessons taken into consideration ahead of Brandenburg’s state elections in two weeks’ time.

The growing strength of the AfD has sent mainstream parties scurrying to respond to public concerns. Border checks are being instigated in Germany for six months, relying on an EU law which allows member states effectively to suspend free movement. This is, of course, more of a token gesture. Germany’s problem is how to settle the three million refugees who have arrived since Angela Merkel’s Willkommenskultur policy.

Friedrich Merz, who leads Merkel’s CDU, wants the government to go further. He is refusing to co-operate with the ruling coalition unless it agrees systematically to turn away illegal migrants at the border. Meanwhile, the idea of processing asylum applications in Rwanda, so firmly rejected by Keir Starmer in one of his first acts as Prime Minister, is alive and well in Germany. Joachim Stamp, an MP from the Free Democratic party, a junior member of Scholz’s coalition, has suggested that Germany might be able to make use of the facilities in Rwanda which were funded by UK taxpayers but will no longer be used by Britain.