“Maischberger”: The AfD is “a really dangerous group”, says Kretschmer | EUROtoday

IIn two months, residents in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg will elect new state parliaments. The AfD is predicted to make large good points within the japanese German states. Saxony's CDU Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer needs to stop an AfD victory and is combating towards it. In Sandra Maischberger's ARD discuss on Wednesday, he made it clear that the AfD is “a really dangerous group.” And: There will probably be no coalition with them.

On “Maischberger”, the CDU politician additionally spoke concerning the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance, the federal authorities’s Ukraine technique and the Union’s doable candidate for chancellor within the 2025 federal election. Kretschmer significantly attacked the Greens.

The Spiegel writer Markus Feldenkirchen, the ARD economics skilled Anja Kohl and the deputy editor-in-chief of the “Zeit” Martin Machowecz additionally mentioned easy methods to cope with the sturdy AfD in japanese Germany. The upcoming US presidential election was examined by the New York-based entrepreneur Nadja Atwal and the German-US transatlantic skilled Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook.

The Greens “have divided this country”

In a dialog with the moderator, the Saxon Prime Minister fervently demanded that deportations be carried out persistently – together with to Afghanistan. “Of course we have to deport people there. Above all, those who are criminals.” The CDU politician additionally supplied the federal authorities his get together's assist for far-reaching steps: “As a Union, we are prepared to change the Basic Law.” He talked about deportation facilities and the outsourcing of asylum procedures to 3rd international locations as concrete measures.

In Saxony, Kretschmer has been governing in a Kenya coalition with the Greens and the SPD since 2019. The authorities has overcome many difficulties over the previous 5 years, he praised on “Maischberger”. There have been no recurring disputes in his state like these beneath the site visitors mild authorities on the federal degree, he mentioned.

The Greens “have divided this country,” mentioned the Prime Minister. They had the possibility to advance the nation in financial and ecological phrases. Instead, they questioned the “valuable” coal compromise, made the heating legislation “completely over the top” and angered farmers by lowering tax breaks.

Regarding doable coalition companions after the election, Kretschmer mentioned on the present: “I would like to form a coalition without the Greens, because things cannot continue as they are now.” But that should additionally apply to the federal authorities in Berlin. Two months earlier than the vote, he additionally made his place clear on the AfD and the Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) coalition.

The BSW described Kretschmer as a “black box” and a “grab bag”. Many individuals with a variety of pursuits are projecting their expectations onto this “phenomenon”, “that can't work”.

The Prime Minister, nonetheless, dominated out a coalition with the AfD. The get together might have developed into an economically liberal, conservative get together, however has turn out to be a right-wing radical get together. By this he doesn’t imply each voter and never each member – however the management. “They are a really dangerous group, and we must not give them any responsibility.”

Kretschmer didn’t say who he would particularly wish to kind a coalition with, as that will solely be a difficulty after the election. Current polls put the Saxon CDU, with 29 %, one level behind the AfD. According to Infratest dimap, the BSW would get 15 %, and the SPD and Greens would every get seven %. The Left (three %) must fear about being re-elected, whereas the federal authorities get together FDP will not be but represented within the Saxon state parliament and, in line with polls, has no probability of being elected.

“I don’t have to listen to questions like that now”

Kretschmer grew to become actually aggressive and emotional when host Sandra Maischberger requested him concerning the warfare in Ukraine. She wished to know his opinion on the ceasefire and peace negotiations. “What have I been saying for two years?” he requested again. “I don't have to listen to questions like that now.”

The quiet, cautious voices have been pushed apart over the previous two years, mentioned Kretschmer. “It is a mistake not to have had these discussions. Because we have to have them.” The AfD and the BSW have taken up the problem in a populist approach. Russia is the aggressor, not the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj, because the AfD suggests.

Kretschmer repeatedly attacked the moderator's questions, for instance when she took up get together chief Merz's place on Ukraine and requested about it.

Maischberger felt compelled to make clear: “I don't know why you feel attacked right now. I tried to ask questions so that the voters who want to get to know you can get an overview of where you stand on several positions,” Maischberger then mentioned. “Then I'll just leave it at that. I could go on and then at the end we might have seen how much agreement you have with the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance in terms of content. Never mind.”

The moderator then probed additional and targeted on the positions on Ukraine throughout the Union. There are, in spite of everything, main variations there, Maischberger mentioned. For instance, get together chief Merz has a totally completely different place on the warfare in Ukraine than Kretschmer, she mentioned. The Prime Minister replied curtly: “Yes, that may be.” The CDU is a individuals's get together, there are completely different opinions, and the best way ahead might be “somewhere in the middle.” He additionally mentioned this with Merz.