| The conservative CDU is pulling a risky experiment this week, in a bid to defeat the far-right in two state elections in East Germany this Sunday (1 September). But at least they’re trying. “Es reicht!” (Enough!). This was the subject line of an email sent out to supporters by German opposition leader Friedrich Merz (CDU/EPP) last Sunday. After the deadly stabbing at a folk festival last Friday, for which a 26-year-old Syrian man has been arrested and terrorist group ISIS has taken responsibility, Merz kicked off a debate on migration policy that dominated the whole week. His demands were far-reaching, notably to stop the admission of Syrian and Afghan refugees, permanently re-install checks at the German border, and reject every asylum seeker who has entered through a third safe country (meaning everyone). While critics quickly pointed out that many of the proposals would be at odds with EU law, Merz’s deputies – such as former health minister Jens Spahn – loudly declared their annoyance with this line of argument, demanding to change EU rules. “We have to get out of this situation where we have basically shackled ourselves almost Kafkaesque by international European regulations,” said Spahn on public television on Wednesday. What Merz and his colleagues were trying to do can be explained by the two state elections in the former East of the country this Sunday, in Saxony and Thuringia. Both states see far-right AfD and conservative CDU battling to become the strongest party, populist left-wing BSW polling third, and all federal government parties (Social Democrats, Greens, Liberals) dangerously close – or already below – the 5% parliamentary threshold. One of the main drivers for the AfD vote is the outrage over the country’s migration policy, which many fear will be additionally boosted by the Solingen attack. | 
