Brussels wants to prove that when it comes to promoting the “European Way of Life” the continent’s immigrants reap the benefits, too.
This week the European Commission will put out recommendations on how its member states should promote the “inclusive integration” of migrants. The political messaging is clear: the European Way of Life is not about pandering to nativists but ensuring that newcomers and all EU citizens are given equal opportunities to “enjoy their rights and participate in community and social life, regardless of background”, according to a draft seen by the FT. “The European way of life is an inclusive one,” it says.
The messaging will be warmly received by those who have criticised Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, for initially giving vice-president Margaritis Schinas the portfolio of “Protecting our European Way of Life” — a job that included migration policy. After complaints from MEPs, the title was tweaked to “Promoting”. But that shift seemed to have little practical impact when Ms von der Leyen, accompanied by Mr Schinas, hailed Greece for acting as Europe’s “shield” earlier this year amid tensions with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan as thousands of migrants gathered at the border between the two countries.
For some critics, the tough talk was not a linguistic faux pas but a manifestation of a “Fortress Europe” mentality that is widespread among Ms von der Leyen’s political family — the centre-right European People’s party. This rhetoric connecting migration and Europe’s way of life has been revived in recent weeks in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in France and Austria. Earlier this month, EU interior ministers released a joint declaration that linked counter-terrorism issues with the need for “social cohesion” and migrant integration. The statement jarred with some as it came in the same week that the children of Turkish migrants to Germany pioneered a Covid-19 vaccine.
The commission’s new recommendations are spearheaded by Brussels’ Swedish centre-left commissioner Ylva Johansson, who is among the commission’s more outspoken defenders of the rights of migrants — and even takes her time to speak to some of them.
The recommendations focus not only on newcomers but second- and third-generation migrants who suffer barriers to entry in society due to a host of factors — including racism. The draft text highlights that migrants and citizens of migrant backgrounds face indirect and direct discrimination in the jobs market and access to housing. Women of migrant background also suffer disproportionately when accessing healthcare and “are more likely to be over-qualified for their jobs than native women”.
Among the most tangible policy steps backed by the commission is improved data collection — particularly as countries such as France and Germany are legally prohibited from recording ethnic or racial census data, making it difficult to measure the lived experience of migrants. The text says the EU’s Fundamental Rights agenda will carry out a comprehensive survey on immigrants and their descendants by 2022.
But the paper acknowledges that the most important levers of integration policy — education, healthcare and labour market policy — remain outside the purview of Brussels. They are decided by member states. And for all the commission’s well-meaning intentions, many EU governments have taken a harsher turn on integration and migration.
Chart du jour: the dwindling green dividend
Europe’s second lockdown hasn’t resulted in the dramatic emissions collapse seen during the first confinement earlier this year. Satellite data of nitrous oxide emissions show that air pollution levels remain elevated — suggesting that more Europeans are staying mobile and jumping in their cars despite the resurgence of the virus (chart via FT).
Around Europe
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Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy will appear in a Parisian court on Monday in a long-awaited corruption trial over allegations he bribed a senior judge. Mr Sarkozy, head of state until 2012, denies that he offered the magistrate a job in return for handing over secret information relating to another investigation related to him. (Guardian, FT).
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A host of EU governments are making tentative plans to save Christmas with plans for the gradual lifting of easing measures. The likes of France and the UK have imposed lockdowns until early December but are anxious to avoid reversing confinement too hastily. France is set to introduce a three-stage plan beginning with the reopening of some non-essential stores in early December. (FT)
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As Angela Merkel celebrated her 15th anniversary in office this weekend, it’s worth rereading Tarik Abou-Chadi’s take on why the German chancellor isn’t the force for progressive change that many laud her as. (Washington Post).
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As the time left until the end of the UK’s post-Brexit transition period ticks down, Peter Guilford says he still has little doubt there will be a Brexit deal. (FT)
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Historian Timothy Garton-Ash tells Bloomberg that “Hungary and Poland are holding the entire EU to ransom” over the rule of law. He calls on Germany and the rest of the bloc to stay firm in the budget crisis as “toughness is the only language Viktor Orban understands”.
Coming up on Monday
EU development ministers dial-in for a videoconference to discuss debt relief and gender equality.