Saxony's Minister President calls for a solution to the refugee issue

Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer has called on the federal government to find a solution to the refugee issue. The CDU politician said in the state parliament on Wednesday that migration figures must be significantly reduced and the issue pacified. The population expects this. In the draft of its government program for the new legislative period, the Saxon Union is calling for a "breathing upper limit" of 60,000 people per year in Germany when it comes to migration. For Saxony, this would mean taking in around 3,000 refugees. The program is to be decided on Saturday.

At the beginning of a government statement, Kretschmer addressed the results of the European elections, in which the AfD won in eastern Germany. "This European election was a protest election." This was bitter because the European Union was also central to concerns in Saxony. It is not a good political style to leave central issues to one side and not find a solution. It used to be possible to find compromises across party lines. "After this election result, there can be no simple 'business as usual'."

A few weeks before the end of the legislative period, Kretschmer drew a positive balance of the work with the coalition partners of the Greens and SPD. The coalition had done the state good and achieved an enormous amount. Saxony had gained further economic strength. Kretschmer spoke out in favor of a critical review of the coronavirus pandemic, for example in a commission of inquiry. Wrong decisions were also made at the time and not everything was always weighed up correctly. The so-called federal emergency brake was just as much a mistake as the sectoral compulsory vaccination.

The Minister President called for respect and social cohesion. "Anyone who incites people with hatred, undermines respect, promotes brutalization and accepts violence is destroying values and damaging our country as a whole. No one who acts in this way can claim to love their country." The rise in hate crime is a cause for concern. Hate and extremism are a danger to the country. "Hate only knows losers and that is not a future program for our country."

AfD party and parliamentary group leader Jörg Urban accused Kretschmer and his CDU/CSU of "green politics". The CDU was "dancing to the tune of green journalists and politicians". Kretschmer had really thrown Saxony and Germany off course with "catastrophic wrong decisions." "Michael Kretschmer can by no means look back on successful years. On the contrary, Mr. Kretschmer has not done our Free State of Saxony any good." He had destabilized and divided the state.

Christian Hartmann, leader of the CDU parliamentary group, also admitted mistakes, but contradicted the gloomy picture that Urban had painted on the wall. Anyone who gives the impression that Saxony is in misery and stagnation and thus negates a successful development is acting indecently.

Left party leader Susanne Schaper began by pointing out the coalition's disputes. In his government statement, Kretschmer was unable to explain "why his government actually still exists". "The CDU in Saxony has still not emerged from its old role as a state party. Even worse election results will hardly convince you that Saxony is not your party's property. Criticism of the grievances in our society bounces off you."

Greens parliamentary group leader Franziska Schubert reminded us of the challenges of the legislative period right at the start. "Behind us lies one of the toughest and most extreme election periods that Saxony has ever experienced due to external influences and crises." Feelings of powerlessness and being overwhelmed should not be underestimated politically. "The experience of loss also runs deep in Saxony. In times of crisis, the fear of further losses is all the greater." Schubert conceded that the coalition had experienced and managed five difficult years in a state of emergency.

SPD parliamentary group leader Dirk Panter also saw society under pressure, with the pace of change extremely high. It is completely understandable that people are looking for security in a safe world and are afraid. "But we must be careful that fear does not guide our actions." However, solutions cannot simply be ordered from an online store, they have to be worked out. The coalition can be seen to be doing this.