Mayor of Zgorzelec plans EU complaints against German controls!

Mayor of Zgorzelec plans EU complaints against German controls!

Zgorzelec, Polen - The German border control on the Polish border causes excitement in Zgorzelec. The city in the border area has decided to submit a complaint to the European Commission. In his opinion, Mayor Rafał Gronicz clearly expresses that the border controls introduced in Germany since October 2023 are considerably disturbing everyday life in Zgorzelec. The mayor criticized that the controls have a negative impact on traffic, which leads to hours of traffic jams, especially after long weekends and on weekdays.

such as Caliber reports, many drivers who normally take up to three hours have chosen the border crossing to Zgorzelec, which leads to further traffic jams in the city areas. The city administration plans to collect signatures from the citizens of Zgorzelecs and the residents of neighboring German Görlitz until July 15. Although the support of the public is not necessary, the initiators want to set an example of this measure and mobilize the community.

Disorder of everyday life and legal steps

The controls intended as "temporarily" have proven to be permanent, according to Mayor Gronicz and thus represent a violation of the Schengen Agreement. The spokeswoman for the city of Zgorzelec, Renata Burdosz, emphasizes that the controls regularly bring the city to a standstill. This not only affects traffic, but also on the economy and daily life in the region. Gronicz not only plans to submit a complaint to the European Parliament, but also to take other legal steps in order to take action against Germany's measures. Other EU countries, such as Luxembourg, have also taken similar steps and questioned the controls, which further fueled the discussion about the Schengen rules. The Luxembourg Interior Minister Léon Gloden has already announced that it would submit a formal complaint to the European Commission, and the largest opposition party in Luxembourg even calls for the case before the European Court of Justice.

The German Ministry of the Interior justifies the controls with the argument that they are necessary to combat irregular migration. However, these explanations not only caused resentment in Zgorzelec, but also in other neighboring countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany. The border controls are originally to be maintained by September 15, 2025, which is a serious problem for many countries within the Schengen area, which now includes 25 countries.

effects on the Schengen zone

The Schengen Agreement, which was signed 40 years ago, has the goal of traveling more comfortably and facilitating goods traffic. But the introduction of border controls by many Schengen countries shows how the security landscape has changed. More and more countries, including Poland, are considering temporary checks to stop migration, which in question questions the expectations of citizens in the EU's life without limits. [KURIER] (https://kurier.at/politik/ausland/grenzkontrollen-eu-eu-oesterreich-Deutschland-polen/403056237) emphasizes that the chronicle of these developments is also accompanied by a hard criticism at the political level, whereby various politicians warn of the negative effects of the controls on European integration.

The aim of these measures is to protect the external borders and increase security within the Schengen area. With an EU asylum and migration pact that is due to come into force from summer 2026, an improvement in the asylum procedure is promised, but the discussion about border controls and their effects remains a hot iron. The EU Commission has a complicated role in this debate, it cannot simply cancel the controls, but judges their necessity.

zgorzelec and many other cities at the borders of the Schengen zone are faced with a challenge that not only has regional but also European dimensions. It remains to be seen how this situation will develop and what measures are taken by the cities concerned.