The German government has denied a media report claiming that the newly elected Chancellor Friedrich Merz had declared a state of national emergency in a bid to ramp up border controls. A spokesperson for the government cleared the rumours on Thursday, assuring the public that the special Brussels clause, Article 72 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, has not been triggered. "The chancellor is not declaring a national emergency," said Stefan Kornelius, speaking to local media. Earlier on Thursday, German media outlet, Die Welt, reported that the new federal government is planning to invoke the EU clause. If passed, national law would apply to border protection and internal security with immediate effect. This would trigger extensive tightening of border controls, as well as result in the rejection of asylum applications. It would also be the first time Germany, an EU founding member, attempted to suspend the bloc's law. However, Brussels would first have to decide on whether or not to approve the request. The same clause was invoked by Italy in 2023 to tackle what the government called an alarming immigration crisis. The report also claimed that ambassadors of countries neighbouring Germany were briefed by the Interior Ministry on the matter, but it wasn't made clear on when the national emergency will begin. Separately, German officials told Euronews that Merz wants to declare a national emergency to step up the increased deportations of people attempting to enter Germany illegally via a safe EU country. On Wednesday, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said he had instructed federal police to tighten border controls with the aim of turning back more irregular migrants, including those who intended to seek asylum. "We will control the borders more strictly...will also lead to a higher number of rejections," Dobrindt said less than a day after being sworn into office. However, Dobrindt said that vulnerable people, including children and pregnant women, would not be turned away at the border. Those plans attracted criticism from both Poland and Austria, and their legality has been questioned by some experts. — Euronews
