Merkel brands pact critics nationalists

German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended a United Nations agreement on migration in a passionate speech to parliament yesterday, accusing its opponents of “nationalism in its purest form”.

The UN pact, to regulate the treatment of migrants worldwide, was approved in July by all 193 member states except the United States and is to be signed in Morocco next month.

But Australia yesterday said it would not sign up to the pact, joining nations including Israel, Hungary and Austria who have said it would compromise immigration policy.

In an appeal to embrace a multilateral approach to the migrant issue, Merkel made a thinly veiled attack on US President Donald Trump and her far-right opponents at home.

“There are people who say they can solve everything themselves and don’t have to think about anyone else, that is nationalism in its purest form,” she told the Bundestag lower house of parliament in an unusually passionate address.

Merkel said the UN pact was in Germany’s interests and would not infringe on national sovereignty.