JOSCHKA FISCHER, the German Foreign Minister, was fighting for his political survival yesterday over charges that his ministry opened the borders to thousands of criminals and prostitutes from Eastern Europe.
In a scandal that the Opposition hopes will end the career of Germany’s most popular politician, Herr Fischer stands accused of liberal policies that relaxed visa restrictions and encouraging embassies to rubber-stamp applications to enter Germany. Herr Fischer said that he accepted responsibility for his ministry’s “mistakes” and said that he was prepared to go before a parliamentary investigations committee. But he pledged to resist calls for his resignation.
His departure would be a significant setback for Gerhard Schröder, the Chancellor, whose centre-left Government came to power in 1998 with the support of Herr Fischer’s Green Party. The Federal Criminal Agency, Germany’s version of Scotland Yard, released figures yesterday showing that German embassies were responsible for a third of all visas issued for the Schengen zone, in which visitors are allowed to travel from country to country without passports.
“German missions abroad also have the lowest rejection rate of all EU missions and this fact is well known among criminal groups,” said the report, which was leaked to Die Welt newspaper. The report, prepared in September 2001, gives a graphic account of how Eastern European people-smugglers made use of lax German embassies.
“In Ukraine alone, 85 per cent of all Schengen visas were stamped by the German authorities,” the report said. “In the past five years a million Ukrainians have entered the European Union via Germany.”
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The embassies were under explicit instruction to issue visas even if there were some doubt about the willingness of the visitor to return. This was backed up by easily available insurance policies covering the cost of a forced expulsion from Germany.
At least three top politicians, including Angela Merkel, the leader of the Opposition, have called for Herr Fischer’s resignation. “Of course I will carry the political responsibility for any mistakes made by myself,” Herr Fischer said yesterday.
He also said that he was ready to face cross-questioning in front of a parliamentary investigation committee this week. However, this damage limitation may not be enough and the minister’s position looks more vulnerable than at any time since he took office in 1998. If Herr Fischer falls, then the Social Democrat-Green coalition would look shaky before the 2006 general election: he is one of the few remaining high-calibre Green Party politicians.
It was a sure sign of crisis yesterday when Herr Schröder said that he had full confidence in his Foreign Minister. Usually Herr Fischer can be relied upon to fight his own battles. This time, however, the Chancellor may have to choose between his Foreign Minister and his Interior Minister, Otto Schily. Herr Schily warned the Foreign Ministry at an early stage that visa practices were being abused.