Potsdam:
Amid rising anti-immigrant feeling in Germany Chancellor Merkel is now saying attempts to build a multicultural society in Germany have failed and immigrants need to do more to integrate.
"Of course, the multicultural approach, to live here side by side and be happy about each other, this approach has failed, utterly failed," said Merkel.
She said this to a gathering of youths of her party Christian Democractic Union, in reference to German President Christian Wulff's recent remarks that Islam was part of Germany like Christianity and Judaism.
Going with the present anti-immigration sentiment in Germany, where over 30 per cent people in a poll felt Germany was being run by foreigners, Merkel said immigrants should learn to speak German.
"Therefore integration is so important. And so it is above all, that those who want to participate in our society, must not only comply with the law and adhere to the constitution, but above all must learn our language. To learn our language, to know our language. It must be given absolute value," said the Chancellor.
This has put on guard among others the four million people of Turkish origin who live in Germany.
Merkel faces pressure especially with the right wing getting stronger riding high on unemployment fears.
The move doesn't technically violate EU's immigration rules unless, the Union says there's discrimination like it did for the Roma expulsions.
The EU may have threatened to take legal action against France for targeting a group on the basis of ethnicity but Italy has backed France.
The European welfare state is under strain in most countries. Cutbacks on social benefits are creating widespread resentment.
In France, protests over Sarkozy's pension reforms have now lasted over two weeks.
Last week France also passed a contentious bill that will strip immigrants of their French nationality if they commit certain crimes.
The anti immigrant parties are making strong gains pushing mainstream parties to move towards stricter immigration policies.
"Of course, the multicultural approach, to live here side by side and be happy about each other, this approach has failed, utterly failed," said Merkel.
She said this to a gathering of youths of her party Christian Democractic Union, in reference to German President Christian Wulff's recent remarks that Islam was part of Germany like Christianity and Judaism.
Going with the present anti-immigration sentiment in Germany, where over 30 per cent people in a poll felt Germany was being run by foreigners, Merkel said immigrants should learn to speak German.
"Therefore integration is so important. And so it is above all, that those who want to participate in our society, must not only comply with the law and adhere to the constitution, but above all must learn our language. To learn our language, to know our language. It must be given absolute value," said the Chancellor.
This has put on guard among others the four million people of Turkish origin who live in Germany.
Merkel faces pressure especially with the right wing getting stronger riding high on unemployment fears.
The move doesn't technically violate EU's immigration rules unless, the Union says there's discrimination like it did for the Roma expulsions.
The EU may have threatened to take legal action against France for targeting a group on the basis of ethnicity but Italy has backed France.
The European welfare state is under strain in most countries. Cutbacks on social benefits are creating widespread resentment.
In France, protests over Sarkozy's pension reforms have now lasted over two weeks.
Last week France also passed a contentious bill that will strip immigrants of their French nationality if they commit certain crimes.
The anti immigrant parties are making strong gains pushing mainstream parties to move towards stricter immigration policies.
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