Despite your belief about Germany as a whole, I can assure you that large segments of the German population are not welcoming of the non-Germans that live among them. That is the political reality that Angela Merkel must assuage if she is to remain in power. And she may just be throwing a sop to that segment of Germany. IF she moves on the issue it may well be struck down by German constitutional courts, just as our own Supreme Court has done to unjust laws

Here are some of the first principles from the Constitution of Germany:

"Article 1 (1) Human dignity shall be inviolable..."

"Article 2 (1) Every person shall have the right to free development of his personality insofar as he does not violate the rights of others..."

"Article 4 (1) Freedom of faith and of conscience, and freedom to profess a religious or philosophical creed, shall be inviolable."

Politicians often say they're going to do things. Whether or not those things pass the high constitutional bar is another matter.