Ten years of Merkel’ “Can do” assertion

“Germany is a strong country. The spirit in which we approach these things must be: We have achieved so much – we can do it! We can do it, and where something stands in our way, it must be overcome, it must be worked on.” These were Angela Merkel’s momentous words at her summer press conference ten years ago. She was referring to the admission of large numbers of refugees who had made their way to the EU via the so-called Balkan route from the Middle East and other regions. The German chancellor’s clear words were followed by action that continues to have an impact today: On the night of September 4-5, 2015, Merkel decided not to close Germany’s borders. In the months and years that followed, hundreds of thousands people seeking refuge arrived; in Germany alone, the number was well over one million.

Numerous citizens helped to accommodate and care for these people. Nevertheless, in this country as in other European countries, a politically consequential dispute over refugee policy broke out in the autumn of 2015. The debate continues to this day and is, of course, a major topic in the media: How well have the refugees since 2015 been integrated?  Which measures have proved successful, and which have not yet yielded positive results.

Numerous outstanding entries were submitted for the European CIVIS Media Prize for Integration and Cultural Diversity, dealing with the flight to Europe since 2015 and its consequences for refugees and host countries alike. A selection of productions for television, radio, cinema, and the internet can be found here.