European People’s Party President Manfred Weber on Tuesday warned the EU must get a handle on migration if it wants to avoid a far-right surge across the continent.
“If we do not find the solution or proper common understanding how to manage migration, then I’m very worried about the next European elections,” he said at a POLITICO event.
Weber pointed to the Dutch elections — where far-right populist Geert Wilders landed a surprise win last week — as an example, talking about how “a tiny, small detail … created the fall of the government.”
Similarly, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Germany has been gaining ground, propelled by migration concerns, something Weber calls “great shock and a matter of concern.”
On the European level, Weber urged countries to finalize the migration deal.
“We have to bring it alive,” he said. “People must see that we are not only talking about migration, that we are not only appealing to solve the problems, but we are really capable to make legislation and really find a solution on European level to stop illegal arrivals on European soil.”
