A year ago, hordes of people trekked from Africa and the Middle East across the Balkans towards Germany, and at the time, I wrote, “If the Balkans collapse, then Europe will collapse. The German run-of-the-mill social pedagogue, who grew up in the fields, forests and meadows will have to learn that it is may be possible to catch, socialise and integrate a few heavy-drinking troublemakers teenagers with a few juvenile legal support agencies and their funds. But it’s a different story when faced with millions of traumatised people from every corner of the earth. It is no accident of human history that our forefathers apparently preferred to carefully consider from behind city walls and fortresses whether they believed that those wishing to cross their drawbridge were approaching in peace. It is no coincidence that homes and cars have locks, even in Sweden. Nor is it any coincidence that we do not hand over our credit card complete with PIN to strangers. As highly honourable and laudable as charity and mercy are, they only work effectively in an environment in which the person in need of help and protection also understands and accepts the support bestowed as such a gift from the heart. This in turn assumes that, for his part, the recipient acknowledges the principal legal sanctity of other people’s property. One cannot be merciful per se to those who do not or cannot understand the helper’s position.

When brute force makes the sensitive, intellectual and emotional relationship between the protection-seeker and the protection-giver impossible, then every benevolent act will fail. Anyone who has ever stood in the middle of a crowd of people that suddenly changed into a force moving horizontally, with elemental force, unresponsive, without being able to make contact, will know what will soon be approaching the Balkans. If Europe, her borders, her values and her legal system do not physically resist this challenge, then Europe will also mentally implode. To suggest the contrary, as is (was) the case for a traditional German social worker within the integration service who operates with remuneration in kind, the option to object and being entitledthe entitlement to the written form according to the formal hearing of socially experienced people, is, if you’ll pardon the expression, out of touch. Now the issue is: if the Balkans collapse, then Europe will collapse.”

Today, I compare my thoughts back then with the latest pictures from the suburbs in France, pictures which their quality press are currently withholding from the wider German public by their quality press.

It is odd that we can have such a very different picture of the world. Some thought the new arrivals were more precious than gold. Others were somewhat more anxious. I counted and continue to count myself among the latter group. Oh, please, if only I had been wrong!

Translated from eigentümlich frei, where the original article was published on 26th February 2017.