Following an election campaign that was characterized by heated debate on migration and asylum, the new German government led by a coalition of SPD and CDU/CSU faces the challenge of uniting different approaches to migration policy. The Roundtable discussed the impact of the election campaign on the national level, and addressed its relevance for the European level. The speakers discussed how the possibility of a renewed Franco-German relationship could strongly influence the European migration agenda and the reform of the Common European Asylum System at a crucial point in its development. They also addressed what could be expect from a new Italian government in this regard.

Speakers included: Julian Rappold, Project Leader “Connecting Europe”, European Policy Centre, Petra Bendel, Professor, Member of the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration, Yves Pascouau, Researcher at University of Nantes; Senior Adviser to EPC on migration and mobility policies, Bernd Riegert, Senior European Correspondent, Deutsche Welle, Marie De Somer, Head of Migration & Diversity, European Policy Centre.