HOW TO THINK ABOUT IT

Opening the door to a storm of controversy. Since 2015 Merkel has kept an open-door policy for refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan who reach Germany — so far taking in more than 1.4 million with 10,000 more flowing in each month. Merkel, in power since 2005, remains Germany’s most popular politician — but less than 100 days after negotiating a fourth term as the nation’s leader she finds herself fighting for her political survival amid a surge of populism and anti-immigrant feeling.

“Crime in Germany is way up.” That’s what Trump also tweeted this week, echoing arguments made by the German far-right, but the data doesn’t back him up. In fact, Germany clocked its lowest crime rate since 1992 this year. Still, the majority of Germans support greater immigration restrictions, and 41 percent in one recent survey said they felt less safe in public spaces compared to five years ago. Trump doubled down Tuesday, tweeting that crime in Germany was up 10 percent but that “officials” weren’t reporting it. He noted that America should “be smart” while reiterating support for his administration’s policy of separating children from their parents at the U.S. border, which two-thirds of Americans say they oppose.

A Europe-wide problem. Mediterranean countries like Greece and Italy have borne much of the burden of the ongoing refugee crisis — thanks to current EU rules stipulating that migrants need to apply for asylum where they first arrive — while newer members like Poland and Hungary have refused to accept any refugees at all, sparking lawsuits from the European Commission. Meanwhile, Italy and Malta each recently refused a ship filled with hundreds of rescued refugees, which docked in Spain. France, which has offered to take in some of the boat’s migrants, called Italy “irresponsible” — despite reports from Oxfam that its own border guards had been abusing migrant children and sending them back to Italy to seek asylum, in violation of EU rules.

From Russia with love (and collusion). The German far-right’s base is located mostly in the country’s ex-communist eastern regions — lands once under Moscow’s political influence during the Cold War. Fast forward three decades: Russia’s powerful state propaganda machine has proved partly responsible for fueling the rise of Alternative for Germany, a political party that loves Russia right back: Key party leaders accepted a trip to Moscow last year funded by an unidentified Russian sponsor.

WHAT TO READ

Increasing Headwinds for Angela Merkel, by Der Spiegel staff in Der Spiegel
"Now, she seems like a chancellor on the way out. And any politician who has been in power for an extended period has had plenty of time to collect numerous political enemies."

The Refugee Detectives: Inside Germany’s high-stakes operation to sort people fleeing death from opportunists and predators, by Graeme Wood in The Atlantic
"That mandate — separating refugees, who will be allowed to stay, from economic migrants, many of whom will not — has launched a gigantic bureaucratic project, sure to offend everyone."

WHAT TO WATCH