Germany: A Winter Attack With Political Implications

At approximately 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 19, a large truck pulling a trailer careened off a central Berlin street and into a busy Christmas market. The driver navigated the truck down a pedestrian area lined with merchant stalls before driving back up onto the street. Initial reports say nine people were killed and more than 50 others injured.

According to Berliner Zeitung, the driver of the truck fled the scene, but police soon apprehended him. Another man was found dead of unknown causes in the passenger seat. The authorities have not yet identified the suspect or the passenger, but Polish media say the company that owns and operates the truck lost contact with the driver hours before the attack, and suspect that he was attacked and the truck stolen.

The attack resembles the July attack in Nice, France, and will cause a similar level of political blowback. After the Nice attack, French President Francois Hollande promised to tighten border controls in France and increase force levels in Syria and Iraq. So far, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has yet to publicly respond to today's attack, but her rejoinder will no doubt be similar. Though Merkel's opposition accuses her of being too lenient on immigration and security issues — which they consider to be tightly connected — she has toughened her stance ahead of the 2017 elections and amid Europe’s wave of nationalism. The rise in nationalist, anti-EU parties in Europe can partially be attributed to concerns about immigration and security. Next year will be a pivotal one for the Continent: Germany, France and possibly Italy will hold elections that could lead to the disintegration of the eurozone. Attacks such as today's in Berlin will undoubtedly be a factor throughout the year, though not the only consideration.