Solidarity. From the Heart or by Force ?

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Abstract
• Keywords
• List of Figures
• List of Abbreviations
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Political leadership
• 2.1. What is political leadership?
• 2.2. When, why and how do political leaders emerge?
• 2.3. Political leadership in the EU
• 3. Post-functionalism: a concept to understand domestic political constraints
• 4. The EU's refugee and migrant crisis
• 4.1. What is a political crisis?
• 4.2. Main features of the EU's asylum and migration policy
• 4.3. Course of the EU's refugee and migrant crisis
• 4.4. Germany's role in the EU's refugee and migrant crisis
• 5. Qualitative content analysis
• 5.1. Methodology
• 5.2. Analysis of newspaper articles and interviews
• 5.3. Putting things together: Why did German leadership largely fail?
• 6. Conclusion and outlook
• Bibliography
• ANNEXES
• ANNEX I: List of conducted interviews
• ANNEX II: Selected newspaper articles from 'Die Welt'
• ANNEX III: Selected newspaper articles from ‘The Guardian’
• ANNEX IV: Selected newspaper articles from 'Le Monde'

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis examines Germany's role in the European Union's (EU) refugee and migrant crisis of 2015-2016, focusing on why German political leadership largely failed to enact its policy proposals for distributing asylum-seekers across the EU. Through a qualitative content analysis of relevant newspaper articles and expert interviews, the thesis argues that while there might have been a supply of German leadership, there wasn't enough demand for it to be successful. This research contributes to the existing literature by linking the concept of political leadership with the specific context of the EU's refugee and migrant crisis.
• The effectiveness of German political leadership in the EU
• The concept of political leadership in the EU
• The EU's asylum and migration policy
• The role of domestic political constraints in shaping European policy
• The application of qualitative content analysis in studying political leadership

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the thesis's topic, highlighting the challenges faced by the EU during the refugee and migrant crisis and focusing on Germany's role in the crisis. Chapter 2 delves into the concept of political leadership, exploring its definition, emergence, and application in the EU context. Chapter 3 introduces the concept of post-functionalism, a theoretical framework for understanding how domestic political constraints can influence European policy-making. Chapter 4 provides an overview of the EU's refugee and migrant crisis, examining its characteristics, policy framework, and Germany's specific role in the crisis. Chapter 5 presents the methodology and findings of the qualitative content analysis, exploring the reasons behind the failure of German political leadership in the crisis.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This thesis focuses on the interplay of political leadership, Germany's role in the EU's refugee and migrant crisis, the relocation scheme, and the concept of solidarity within the EU. The research emphasizes the importance of understanding the factors that contribute to successful political leadership, particularly in the context of complex crises like the refugee and migrant crisis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did German political leadership fail during the 2015-2016 refugee crisis?

The research suggests that while Germany provided a "supply" of leadership, there was not sufficient "demand" from other EU member states for German policy proposals.

What is the concept of 'political leadership' in the EU context?

It refers to the ability of a state or actor to guide collective decision-making and implement common policies, which is often constrained by domestic politics.

How does post-functionalism explain EU policy constraints?

Post-functionalism argues that domestic political pressures and public opinion increasingly limit the ability of governments to pursue further European integration or shared crisis management.

What role did solidarity play in the EU's migration policy?

The crisis revealed deep divisions regarding the meaning of solidarity, particularly concerning the mandatory relocation of asylum-seekers among member states.

What methods were used to analyze Germany's role in the crisis?

The thesis utilized qualitative content analysis of major newspapers (Die Welt, The Guardian, Le Monde) and expert interviews.