Who are you kidding, Mrs Merkel

Mrs Merkel last year let in around 1 million economic migrants and refugees. Many Germans disagreed, and social and political tensions followed.

This week Mrs Merkel says that was a mistake, and wishes to ban the burka if the law allows. So she has shifted from a very liberal position to picking on a group of people and forcing them to change their clothes.

Mrs Merkel, the architect of much of the EU’s troubles over open borders, and of the EU/Turkey Agreement, now wants to look like the anti immigrant parties which she normally condemns. I doubt many will believe her or warm to this new policy. Her liberal supporters will be appalled by what she has said. Those who want proper control of borders will see this gesture politics is no substitute for that. They will also doubt she will ban the burka, given the caveat. It looks like a desperate move.