Germany's Role In The EU

Since France,West Germany,Italy,Belgium,Luxembourg,and the Netherlands(inner Six)signed the Treaty of Paris in 1951 in which anno unced the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community(ECSC),the integration of Europe has speed up with an unprecedented pace.Today,the European Union has become a highly-integrated organization with common currency euro and free-visa under Schengen Agreement.This brings decades of peace and prosperity to member states and its growing influence over international affairs,defense force,and world economy has made itself a possible emerging superpower on the world stage.But ‘Brexit' has changed everything and ring an alarm bell for the growing dividend among member states.Now EU is standing at the crossroad,if not moving forward,it may fall apart.As one of the ‘founding Six',the ‘starring' Germany is expected by others to play the leading role and drag EU out of the woods.The refugee crisis which went to peak in 2015 has to some extent gives a head-on blow on European integration.EU is obviously not well-prepared for the millions of refuges flood in Europe who mainly come from West Asia and North Africa.When it's already on the edge of breaking down,EU announced its refugee relocation scheme and forced it to all member states except Britain,Denmark and Ireland,the three enjoyed the right of opting when joined the EU.The scheme was bitterly against by East European countries and its carry-out stalled because of the lack of coercive force of EU.Thousands of refugees have nowhere to go and EU has big problem verify refugees' identity.EU lost on humanity and security.Germany learnt a lesson from the previous European debt crisis in which it has been criticized for acting too slow and pessimistic.Humanitarian spirit has rooted in Europe and Germany this time gave quicker response by playing a more active role as the refugee defender,calling for a collective plan among EU member states.However,this wins not EU's heart but strong opposition from mainly East Europe countries.It struck another discussion on ‘whether it's European's Germany or Germany's EU',a long time accusation keep hunting the post-war Germany.Merkel has been criticized by name in public and German political environment is going through dramatic changes due to Germen's averse to her refugee policy.Right-wing party ascend to the Bundestag(German Federal Parliament)for the first time after WW II and the supporting rate of Merkel's Unionsparteien(CDU/CSU)hit bottom,the new government didn't formed until half a year after the election.More challenges around the corner for Merkel's Germany.In this thesis,I will take European refugee crisis as a case,reviewing Europe 's refugee policies and laws,focusing on this time's relocation scheme which wouldn't come into effect without Germany.I will try to analyze the impact this scheme has brought to the EU and to German politics,taking this as the break-through point to the challenges EU faced at the moment and the future directions EU should be heading towards.At the end,how will this new German government get along with EU and how can it play a more leading role within the union will be discussed.