The German Review

The German Review

10 years of 'wir schaffen das'

Was Merkel right to open Germany's borders to refugees?

Jörg Luyken's avatar
Jörg Luyken
Aug 27, 2025
∙ Paid
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Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

Dear Reader,

Ten years ago this week, Angela Merkel uttered three words that came to define her chancellorship.

With the phrase Wir schaffen das, Merkel sought to reassure the German public that the country would be able to manage the sharp rise in refugees arriving at its borders. Her words followed the discovery of do…

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