The German government's idea to attract urgently needed foreign professionals with tax advantages during their first years survived only a few days before being torn apart from within. After the opposition – including Julia Klöckner (CDU) – promptly aligned with populist sentiment and spoke of „discrimination against locals“, even SPD Labour Minister Hubertus Heil weakened his stance. He insisted that work in this country should be valued equally. Petra Köpping (SPD), Saxony's Minister of Social Affairs, who is facing a challenging election campaign, said she doesn't support tax benefits for foreign professionals „at all“. But there are plenty of arguments in favour of granting foreign professionals tax benefits in their initial years.

First, due to demographic changes, we urgently need more skilled workers. Second, many neighbouring countries already offer such benefits, putting us at a competitive disadvantage. Third, foreign professionals pay taxes that fund expenditures from which they hardly benefit during their temporary stay – such as contributions to pension and long-term care insurance, long-term infrastructure projects, and many other expenses not directly beneficial to the immediate needs of citizens.

Above all, the immediate debate highlights why Germany is not as hospitable as it perceives itself, but rather as hospitable as many newcomers experience it. The reluctance of politicians to argue against this deeply ingrained German reflex is disastrous. Improved selection in immigration will not come from the (apparent) deterrence of hard-to-integrate migrants but from a better welcome culture for easily integrable professionals. Anyone following the debate from abroad gets a more realistic foretaste of the so-called German Leitkultur, i.e. guiding culture, than by looking at the exuberant celebrations of the European Football Championship: Welcome to the society of envy.