Kretschmer defends debt package and criticizes Europeans

Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer has defended the debt package put together by the CDU/CSU, SPD and Greens. "Anyone with an open mind will realize that Germany and Europe need to take more care of defence," said the CDU politician in the Sächsische Zeitung podcast.

But you can't explain to people that tanks and drones are bought and money is given to Ukraine, but the infrastructure of kindergartens, schools and hospitals in Germany doesn't work. Kretschmer emphasized that other obstacles to growth, such as expensive energy and bureaucracy, must also be removed in order for a new economic dynamic to emerge.

On Tuesday, the Bundestag amended the Basic Law with a two-thirds majority, thereby approving the historic billion-euro financial package for defense and infrastructure.

Kretschmer: Invite everyone to help shape the country

Kretschmer also stressed that there should be no coalition with the AfD. But he would not be shut up either. He wanted to invite everyone to help shape this country.

"And I would like to achieve a situation where we can say after a certain time: Look, there were people from the Left Party who took part, there were some from the Greens, there was someone from the BSW. And then it will turn out that it is the AfD that is boycotting, that is not taking part. But not because I have excluded them, but because they exclude themselves."

Accusing Europeans of incompetence in the Ukraine war

The CDU politician accuses the Europeans of unwillingness and incompetence in resolving the war in Ukraine. This has led to "the American president doing it, and he is doing it in his completely selfish way".

Donald Trump is a "narcissistic president" who is not looking at what is good for peace, but what business he can do with it. Kretschmer had urged a diplomatic solution from the outset.