Germany's sharp reactions to Poland's move: "Furiousness will escalate further"

German Tageszeitung journalist Simone Schmollack reports that controls on the bridge connecting Frankfurt (Oder) with Słubice and on the A12 motorway have been causing huge disruptions for months. "People are furious about the traffic jams. From Monday, the fury will escalate further," warns Schmollack, commenting on the new wave of controls introduced by the Polish side.

The journalist criticizes the decisions of the German government, which in her opinion only deepens the chaos.

"Chancellor Friedrich Merz's cabinet ignores the fact that Germany is dependent on foreign specialists. In addition, Berlin is abandoning humanitarian values and, by introducing unnecessary controls, is putting a strain on the previously friendly relations with Poland."

From her perspective, Brandenburg's border with Poland remains "green" – illegal migrants can still bypass checkpoints through the forest. "The Polish reaction is – from her perspective – understandable, but it only further exacerbates the problem," Schmollack emphasizes.

Berlin under fire. Is Germany shifting the problem?

What is happening at the border is also causing serious concern among German economic and political elites. The daily "Handelsblatt" draws attention to the dramatic impact of the controls on business. "German business is worried," warns journalist Dietmar Neuerer. As reported, the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) even speaks of "great concern."

Helena Melnikov from DIHK adds: "We receive information from business circles, especially from chambers of commerce and industry in the border regions, that makes us worry."

In her opinion, if Polish workers are unable to reach German workplaces on time, they may start looking for employment in other EU countries. This will deepen the staffing crisis in states such as Brandenburg.

Voice of politics: chaos, traffic jams and tens of thousands of victims

Brandenburg's Interior Minister Refe Wilke warned during a meeting of the state parliament's interior affairs committee that the new controls would mean "huge traffic jams and traffic chaos". His predictions are clear: "Several hundred thousand people will suffer".

Viktoria Grossmann of the Sueddeutsche Zeitung draws attention to the disturbing phenomenon of "self-proclaimed" border guards on the Polish side. According to her, such groups are led by the far-right Robert Bąkiewicz, supported by PiS and president-elect Karol Nawrocki. Grossmann writes that Bąkiewicz is spreading "conspiracy theories about thousands of migrants deliberately being transferred from Germany to Poland."

According to German services, a total of 3,777 migrants were turned away at the Polish-German border from September 2024 to the end of April 2025. Grossmann recalls that Poland had previously shown less involvement in registering migrants arriving from the east. It was only after Germany's decisions that it began to take clear action.

Is Schengen falling apart? "Another open border has disappeared"

Temporary controls also strike at the symbolic fabric of European integration. The Austrian daily Der Standard notes that "the Schengen area has lost another open internal border." As Gerald Schubert writes, 10 EU countries are now using the possibility of suspending the free movement of people, which was originally supposed to be an exception, but is becoming the norm.

Schubert points out German hypocrisy. Although Germany does not have an external border, it is Germany that "is pushing back asylum seekers and putting pressure on governments in neighbouring countries – even those that do not normally punish Germans". This, he says, is a typical domino effect, the aim of which is to transfer the migration pressure to the EU's external borders – such as Poland.

Donald Tusk changes his tune. Pressure from the opposition and self-appointed patrols

In all the political turmoil, attention is drawn to the change in Prime Minister Donald Tusk's narrative. Previously known as a supporter of compromise and EU cooperation, he is now declaring a tough stance. "The time when Poland did not react adequately to such actions is definitely over," Tusk declared.

Commentators point out that his statement is a response to pressure from the opposition – especially PiS – which combines anti-German rhetoric with fear of migrants. "These words are not surprising, although Tusk has not used such language so far. This shows that the prime minister is under pressure from the opposition, which is hostile towards the EU and Germany, and from self-proclaimed border guards," we read in Der Standard.

And this is just the beginning…

Although the checks are currently scheduled to last until August 5, many experts fear that the situation will last longer and lead to a deeper crisis. The German news agency DPA emphasizes that "travellers must prepare themselves for waiting at the Polish border." The dispatch indicates that the full effects of this decision cannot be predicted today. One thing is certain, however: ordinary people are suffering - cross-border workers, drivers, residents of border towns.

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