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FromMarcus Maeckler
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Christian Deutschlaender
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Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer has a few very own points of view – in the Merkur interview he talks about asylum, AfD and sanctions.
Munich – Sharp criticism of migration policy, doubts about sanctions against Russia: Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) occasionally offends his own party. We met the 48-year-old on Sunday for a detailed interview in Munich. He presents proposals for asylum policy, talks about the AfD and about the deliveries of fighter jets for Ukraine’s self-defense.
Munich Mercury: They often go aggressively towards demonstrators and angry citizens, allow themselves to be yelled at, argued. What are you shouting at right now?
Michael Kretschmer: For the most part, this is currently about this heating law – because it is poorly crafted and the attitude behind it is that the state wants to educate people. From above, par ordre du mufti. This creates enormous frustration. Then there is the war, which is causing people a great deal of concern, as well as the economic consequences, which have long since arrived at home.
Migration is also one of the major bones of contention. Did the asylum summit recently buy time from the chancellor or was it wasting time?
We’re running out of time. The Prime Ministers agree that these numbers overwhelm the municipalities – not only in terms of accommodation, but also in schools, kindergartens, integration. We have been in open talks with the chancellor for more than half a year. But the SPD does not manage to assert itself against the Greens in the federal government. Very consistent action is needed at the external border. Instead, Ms. Baerbock drives around and single-handedly runs admissions programs with no regard for European and national security interests. That does not work like this. In terms of their ideology, the Greens no longer have any respect for the majority opinion in Germany. And Olaf Scholz forgets that as Vice Chancellor in 2018 he agreed to an upper limit on immigration. What was right then cannot be wrong today.
Kretschmer wants to reduce the number of refugees – and the “benefits” for asylum seekers
They demand: arrival numbers down. How is this supposed to work?
We must help those who are directly threatened, there is no question about it. But that can’t be 300,000, 400,000 a year. We urgently need to talk about benefits for asylum seekers and compare them in Europe. This is obviously the main reason why all asylum seekers across Europe want to come to us. If we want a functioning EU and open internal borders, we have to lower our performance and adapt it to a European value.
Specifically: Where to shorten?
I want to tackle this without any excitement. For example, with a commission together with representatives from all areas. Not a political arena, but experts who work out binding proposals in three to six months. Incidentally, that would also be the better way in energy policy.
Do you really trust the concept of external border protection in the EU?
I was at Frontex in Warsaw and I have a lot of confidence in them. Turkey-Greece border is safe, Belarus-Poland border was safe. You can do that, but you also have to lower the central pull factor, our social services. We must end our inability to return people who do not qualify for asylum to their home countries. In addition, there is strong work outside the EU with effective development aid that creates life prospects for the people in these countries.
Kretschmer sees a lack of openness behind the strengthening of the AfD – and cites Bavaria as a positive example
You are experiencing an AfD in East Germany that has become the strongest force. Does that scare you?
I view this development with great concern. Our inability to address and resolve issues in this country leads to the strength of this AfD. Unfortunately, the Greens have a huge share in this with their autocratic traffic light policy.
How do you make an AfD smaller again?
By tackling and solving the big and important issues in our country. This is what citizens expect from a government. It needs to be made clearer that there are different approaches. Then you can ask them. You can see that in Bayern too.
To person
Michael Kretschmer (48) has governed the federal state of Saxony since the end of 2017, currently in an unusual black-red-green coalition – out of necessity to keep the AfD and the left out of government. The office information electronics technician from Görlitz, who later worked his way up to a graduate industrial engineer, is also one of the five deputy heads of the CDU in the federal government.
Politically, he is seen as a plain texter, sometimes deviating from the position of the Union to the right. However, he also made headlines nationwide because for years he has calmly faced all debates with angry citizens, corona deniers and demonstrators in general – even if they follow him to the front of his house, where he lives with his wife and two sons, and verbally abuse him . He wants to explain what he’s doing, says Kretschmer. The next state elections in Saxony will take place in autumn 2024. Kretschmer is fighting for the AfD, as in every East German state, with extremely high values.
Is that also why you are breaking away from Russia/Ukraine policy? To chatter to your electorate?
We have our own opinion on sanctions, on how to end this war. The economic consequences for ourselves of the sanctions that I have been warning about for a year have happened exactly like this – energy prices, huge inflation. I also want Ukraine not to lose this war, that something should be done to counter the aggression. But that also means that we, as the West, have to show economic strength. And by completely decoupling Russia from everything, even cutting ties with civil society and academia, we are depriving ourselves of our options.
Completely weaken Russia? “Is that a 19th-century attitude?”
What makes you think Putin wouldn’t immediately invade the nearest country?
Where does this lead? That Russia must be completely weakened politically, economically and militarily? It’s a 19th-century attitude that has led to every conflict of the 20th century—hereditary enmity, hurt, propaganda. You can live with an insecure neighbor, Russia, if you stand up. The wrongly designed sanctions and our wrong energy policy are costing us strength.
You also reject the fighter jet delivery?
Let’s take a look at what the Germans have been told in the last twelve months that we will never – never – do: become a party to the war, supply weapons, offensive weapons, tanks. One after the other takes place, we are on an incline. While we refrain from diplomatic initiatives, we leave possible negotiations to the Chinese to stop this war. None of this inspires confidence in politics.
Interview: Christian Deutschländer and Marcus Mäckler
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